Thursday, March 28, 2024

Vocalist Vivian Sessoms Performs Selections from Her Upcoming New Album, LIFE at The Django in New York

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*Before Wednesday, September 19, I was familiar with the name Vivian Sessoms, but was not familiar with her music. Wednesday night, I attended a private listening event for the vocalist/songwriter and was treated to a great night of live music.

Sessoms wowed her audience at her event for her first ever Jazz CD, LIFE, at The Django in New York City.  Sessoms’ vocals were nearly flawless.  A great live performer, the artist and her live band lit up the room with selections from her new disc including my new favorite “See Line Woman,” as well as “People,” “Lush Life,” “I Can’t Breathe,” and “Strange Fruit.” Her band was equally impressive with Shedrick Mitchell on keyboard/piano (known for his stints with Maxwell, Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston), bass guitarist Chris Parks (Lalah Hathaway, Sheila E., Deborah Cox), guitarist Mark Whitfield, drums by Donald Edwards (Kurt Elling, Brandford Marsalis), Lee Hogans on trumpet (Marcus Miller), Brent Birkhead (Lauryn Hill) on sax, and Andrae Murchison on trombone (Roy Hargrove, Gregory Porter).

At the intimate gathering, Vivian spoke to her guests between sets about her CD, LIFE (iavailable November 2), as well as her reasons for selecting the songs we hear on the album, she explained: “I wanted to be very particular about the songs that I chose. I wanted to include songs that I love that I felt had a particular message about things that fit in with what I wanted to say about life. That is on the surface, but at the heart of LIFE, it’s a record about black people in America today. It’s a record about politics, it’s a record about government failing, a record about people being displaced and trying to figure out where they belong. And I tried to choose songs that I felt had meaning 40, 50, 60, years ago where the artists were saying the same exact thing as now. To make the point that these songs are still very relevant because the times have not changed.” She continued, “So what you’re going to hear on LIFE and at the heart of it you’re gonna hear some beautiful songs, you’re gonna hear some angry songs, you’re gonna hear some painful songs, you’re gonna hear some songs from the point of view of black people, particularly this black woman.”

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Who is Vivian Sessoms? According to her bio, Vivian Sessoms is an accomplished singer, Harlem native and the niece of jazz legend Nancy Wilson, with whom she spent a great deal of time growing up. Over her career, Sessoms has shared the stage with such artists as Chaka Khan, Rob Thomas, Dionne Warwick, Donna Summer, Cher, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, P!nk, Patti Austin, Sinead O’Connor, P. Diddy, and a host of others. She is also a successful songwriter and, along with partner Chris Parks and their production company Supr Dupr Sound, she has produced or remixed songs for acclaimed artists such as Khani Cole, Lalah Hathaway and more. Sessoms and Parks (as the group Albright) also released the CD Sunny One Day in 2007.

Additionally, Sessoms has performed, written and or produced dozens of brand jingles and appeared on shows like the Tonight Show, The Today Show, Late Night with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The View, The Wendy Williams Show, Soul Train, The MTV Awards, MTV Unplugged and many more.

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Sessoms vocals slayed on Wednesday night and her look also slayed, as she took the stage with style in all black and a huge mane of shiny curls. Checking out images of Sessoms sent to me from her record label Ropeadope, Sessoms is the total package – a new modern-century jazz singer. Her style is a cool fashion forward blend of classy, funky and bohemian.

Celebrity fashion stylist Debra Ginyard (Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill, Robin Givens, Donshea Hopkins) attended the listening event and here is what she had to say:

“Listening to her was a very emotional experience for me that transported me to another space and time that I will never forget. Vivian Sessoms reincarnates the retro vibes of the 70s heroine chic style with a nod to Foxy Brown actress Pam Grier. Her modern take is fashion feminism at its best, showing off hair that is regal yet relatable to an era where natural is embraced. She accessorizes not according to a trend but to a way of life. I call it emotional accessorizing where it’s bold and bodacious to match her just as equally powerful vocals!”

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Celebrity image maker Alexander Allen, who has styled Eve, Takashi Murakami, Sean P. Diddy Combs, also attended Vivian Sessoms listening event and here is what he had to say:

“After that awesome experience, I’ll never forget her.  Vivian Sessoms, in a word, is a force.  With that said, Vivian Sessoms isn’t only a force, she’s the truth.  I can’t tell you the last time I’ve heard an artist who can belt, with power and longevity, without over-singing a note.  Vivian sings masterfully and I became an instant fan of hers.  To top it off, Vivian also has an equally impactful personal style.  Instantenously, I noticed and admired her oversized hoop earrings, embellished with dangling strips of rhinestones.  The perfect earrings for her larger than life afro.  Vivian Sessoms, ahhh, do yourself a favor and familiarize yourself with this rare artist and her artistry, early.”

Fashion stylist Spry Lee Scott was also in the house and here is what he had to say about Vivian Sessoms:

I truly enjoyed listening to, and watching Vivian Sessoms perform songs from her latest album. Her vocal stylings and fashion sense are one in the same; cutting-edge, captivating and effortless.

Vivian Sessoms stakes a claim on a sound all her own on the Jazz-influenced, LIFE, her new CD, available November 2, 2018 on Ropeadope Records. Catch Vivian Sessoms and her band currently on a world tour in support of the new CD.

 

Credit for All photos: Christine Connallon

Click HERE to Listen to “Strange Fruit” from Vivian Sessoms LIFE Album

Follow Vivian Sessoms on Twitter: @VivianSessoms and on Instagram @VivianSessoms

donna torrence
Donna Torrence

Donna Torrence is a NYC based writer, actor/model and former entertainment publicist  – IG: @donnatorrence_

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