Vivian Sessoms

Artist Information

Biography

Vivian Sessoms was born and bred in Harlem, New York to a session & jingle singer and well known flautist and percussionist who worked with James Brown and a number of other notable artist's throughout his career.

Vivian received classical voice and piano instruction from the age of 9, and thereafter won a scholarship to the highly acclaimed Eubie Blake AMAS Repertory Company headed by the late Rosetta Lenoire. There, she trained in theatre, dance, and music. This led her to radio and television voiceovers. She’s been the voice behind such products as Campbell’s Soup, Hershey’s Chocolate, Coke a Cola, Walt Disney and most recently the theme for the popular animated television series 'As Told By Ginger'. Vivian has performed with Stevie Wonder, P-Diddy, and Sinead O’Connor to name a few. She has also recorded with Michael Jackson, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Cher and Gavin Degraw.

While working in New York, Vivian began writing her own music and caught the attention of a Virgin publishing exec who paired her with a number of up and coming young writers which eventually led to her being sought out by K.G. of Naughty By Nature whom she signed with as an artist and staff writer though a record was never released. Some of Vivian’s publishing credits include 'Take My Love' for David Morales, 'A Day in the Park' for Ryuichi Sakamoto (High Heels, Little Buddah), and 'Time After Time' & 'Happy' for Towa Tei (Dee-Lite). This eventually led Vivian to release her debut cd 'Sunny One Day'.

Instrumentation

Vivian Sessoms - Lead Vocals
Chris Parks - Bass
Sherrod Barnes - Guitar & Vocals
Casey Benjamin - Keyboards & Vocals
Eric Brown - Drums & Vocals.

Discography

ALBRIGHT - SUNNY ONE DAY - BABY BUDDHA RECORDS
Dunno' What - co-producer, co-writer, all vocals
Tainted - co-producer, co-writer, all vocals
Love Can Turn You Around - co-producer, co-writer, all vocals
In Between Worlds - co-producer, co-writer, all vocals
It's Alright - co-producer, co-writer, all vocals
Oh Baby - co-producer, co-writer, all vocals
Sunny One Day - co-producer, co-writer, all vocals
He Who Knows - co-producer, co-writer, all vocals
Ghettoland - co-producer, co-writer, all vocals
Love You - co-producer, co-writer, all vocals
Heroin' - co-producer, co-writer, all vocals
Serachin' - co-producer, co-writer, all vocals
Faith - co-producer, co-writer, all vocals
Fadin' Out - co-producer, co-writer, all vocals
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LALAH HATHAWAY - OUTRUN THE SKY - MESA BLUE MOON
Admit It - co-producer, co-writer, backing vocals
In The End - co-producer, co-writer, backing vocals
Back Then - co-producer, co-writer, backing vocals
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DAVID MORALES - TWO WORLDS COLLIDE - DEFMIX
Take My Love - co-writer, lead vocals
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LOGIC - BLUES FOR YOU - STRICTLY RHYTHM
Blues For You - co-writer, all vocals
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JUNIOR VAZQUEZ - THE BLUES
The Blues - co-writer, all vocals
Thy Kingdom Come - co-writer, all vocals
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RYUICHI SAKAMOTO - SMOOCHY - GUT
A Day In The Park - Ryuichi Sakamoto - co-writer, all vocals
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TOWA TEI - SOUND MUSEUM - EAST/WEST JAPAN
Happy - co-writer, all vocals
Time After Time - co-writer, all vocals
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TOSHIHIKO MORI - PLANETARY FOLKLORE - AKASHIC
Planetary Foklore - co-writer, all Vocals
Undulation - co-writer, all vocals
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KHANI COLE - LIFETIME - HEAVY CAT RECORDS
Lifetime - co-prod, co-writer, backing vocals
All About You - co-prod, co-writer, backing vocals
Sunshine - co-prod, co-writer, backing vocals
What Is Real - co-prod, co-writer, backing vocals
Things You Do - co-prod, co-writer, backing vocals
Real Thing - co-prod, co-writer, backing vocals
Trickin' - co-prod, co-writer, backing vocals
If - co-prod, co-writer, backing vocals
Sunday Mornin' - co-prod, co-writer, backing vocals
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THE BINGO BOYS - COLOUR OF MUSIC - WEA RECORDS
10 More Minutes - co-writer, all vocals
Sugar Daddy - co-writer, all vocals
No Communication - co-writer, all vocals
That Girl - co-writer, all vocals
Knock Knock - co-writer, all vocals
Gimme Love - co-writer, all vocals
Peace Of Mind - co-writer, all vocals
Color Of Music - co-writer, all vocals
Logical - co-writer, all vocals
Get It Together - co-writer, all vocals
Magic Numbers - co-writer, all vocals
Discard After - co-writer, all vocals
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MOONLIGHT SERENADE - MAGNOLIA HOME STUDIOS
Starring Amy Adams and Alec Newman
Featured Track - Things You Do - co-writer, backing vocals

Official Website

http://www.viviansessoms.com

Links

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Vivian at CDBaby
• Vivian on Youtube
• Vivians Blog

Audio

• In Between Worlds
  Listen   Download
• Heroin'
  Listen   Download
• Dunno' What
  Listen   Download
• Tainted
  Listen   Download
• love can turn you around
  Listen   Download

Lyrics

• Dunno' What
• Heroin
• Tainted
• In Between Worlds

Video

(Feinsteins) Is You IS Or Is You Ain't My Baby

(Feinsteins) Willow Weep For Me

Photo Gallery

Press

• I Am Music/Vivian Sessoms [+ Show ]
  

  "When Vivian Sessoms erupts onto the stage with a robust, funky arrangement of “Is You Is Or Is You ..."When Vivian Sessoms erupts onto the stage with a robust, funky arrangement of “Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby?” (Louis Jordan), my pen abandons words for exclamation points. In “Back to Black” (Amy Winehouse/Mark Ronson), her gutsy, hard-charging voice, colluding with one of the best horn sections I’ve heard, sends shivers up the spine: “You went back to what you knew/So far removed from all that we went through/And I tread a troubled track/My odds are stacked/I'll go back to black”. Sessoms dismantles the poor sod in the song.
  
  A rousing hot-damn-cry-out-clap-‘n’-stomp-let ’em-rip “Cherchez la Femme” (A. Darnell/ S.Browder, Jr. for Dr.Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band) provokes people at the back to wave arms or napkins; others infectiously sing—yes—they pipe up from the room. “It pays to have friends who sing.” Texturally dynamic—there’s that fabulous brass again—its primitive, processional rhythm sees Sessoms bump, shimmy and parade joyfully among the tables.
  
  Sessoms can taffy-pull a consonant like Tina Turner or purposefully omit one like Dinah Washington. She has skill, range and, later, gives us a taste of excellent, fluid scat.
  
  This is a formidably talented performer with a fierce band." - Alix Cohen

• Sunny One Day/Albright feat Vivian Sessoms [+ Show ]
  

  "On this album, Sessoms' clear, exquisite voice shimmers against a percolating R&B/jazz backdrop. R..."On this album, Sessoms' clear, exquisite voice shimmers against a percolating R&B/jazz backdrop.
  Repeat worthy tracks: 'Dunno' What', 'Tainted (Love)', ;Sunny One Day' and 'Fadin' Out'". - Gail Mitchell

• Sunny One Day/Albright feat Vivian Sesssoms [+ Show ]
  

  Background singers with enough star power to release solo efforts never seem to stay long in the spo...Background singers with enough star power to release solo efforts never seem to stay long in the spotlight. Remember Lisa Fischer (Luther Vandross), N'Dambi (Erykah Badu), and Trey Lorenz (Mariah Carey)?
  They all came with heavily endorsed debuts and then...nothing. This shouldn't be the case for New Yorker Vivian Sessoms, one powerful half of the duo Albright, who's been working behind the scenes with some of music's most respected names: Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Patti Austin, and Lalah Hathaway. With a touch of smooth jazz production, Albright's debut album, Sunny One Day, gives this singer-songwriter's heralded vocals free range over her partner Chris Parks's blend of soul. Feel the chemistry on 'Tainted (Love)', an intoxicating track drunk with hypnotic drum beats and Sessoms' gentle mix of R&B and gospel; 'In Between Worlds', a touching song about acceptance that's as topical as it is sweet; and 'Luv U', a lover's letter of all the things we can never hear enough of.
  Willie C. Alaman - Uptown

• Sunny One Day/Albright feat Vivian Sessoms [+ Show ]
  

  "Truly an album project in all-around quality, cohesion, confession and conscience, Sunny One Day re..."Truly an album project in all-around quality, cohesion, confession and conscience, Sunny One Day renders picking singles pointless, though I'm partial to 'It's Alright', 'He Who Knows', 'Ghettoland', 'Luv U' and 'Heroin'.
  What a mind-blowing surprise – Albright's Sunny One Day is the most unexpected out-of-left-field slice of lyrical, musical and aural perfection since Aya’s Strange Flower and a qualifier for Best of 2007."
  - A. Scott Galloway

• 2 Worlds Collide/David Morales feat Vivian Sessoms [+ Show ]
  

  "But it's Vivian Sessoms who has the last word with the beautifully crafted "Take My Luv". This is a..."But it's Vivian Sessoms who has the last word with the beautifully crafted "Take My Luv". This is a number that woos and wins with a stellar groove and a taut, instantly memorable melody that perfectly highlights Morales' uncanny ability to create timeless productions and uncover bright and exciting new talent".
  - Reviewer: Lewis Dene

• 2 Worlds Collide/David Morales feat Vivian Sessoms [+ Show ]
  

  "Ultimately, though, Morales has never been one to follow the latest trend. Instead, he has remained..."Ultimately, though, Morales has never been one to follow the latest trend. Instead, he has remained true to quality house beats of a musical kind. And on tracks like 'Take My Love', featuring Vivian Sessoms, the lyrics and music soar." - MP
  

• Outrun The Sky/Lalah Hathaway [+ Show ]
  

  "Hathaway brings to mind her late father, music legend Donny Hathaway on the poignant guitar and org..."Hathaway brings to mind her late father, music legend Donny Hathaway on the poignant guitar and organ-driven 'Admit It', written & produced by Vivian Sessoms & Chris Parks".

• Outrun The Sky/Lalah Hathaway [+ Show ]
  

  "Some of the songs were inspired by a sense of romantic loss that she shared with some of her frien... "Some of the songs were inspired by a sense of romantic loss that she shared with some of her friends. Among those songs, the gritty anthem "Admit It" is the clear standout as Hathaway laments the "silly shit men do"."
  - Mark Anthony Neal

Setlist

Set can run from 30 to 90 minutes left to discretion of club owner/ promoter.

Setlist:
01. Dunno' What
02. Sunny One day
03. Love Can Turn You Around
04. It's Alright
05. Heroin
06. Ghettoland
07. Tainted
08. Fadin' Out
09. He Who Knows
10. Faith
11. Searchin'
12. Love You
13. In Between Worlds
14. Oh Baby

Basic Requirements

PDF Rider

ALBRIGHT MIC & INPUT LIST 6-06

Calendar