FEINSTEINS AT LOEWS REGENCY PRESENTS VIVIAN SESSOMS IN CONCERT

Hello, Hello, HELLO!!

It’s been such a long time I know! All I can say is, I miss you guys so much!

I’ve run into so many of you around NYC, I’ve gotten emails, etc, asking, “Why haven’t I been getting emails from you? When are you performing? Where have you been?”

Well, here I am ;-) Actually, to be more accurate, I’ve been keeping my head down making headway with this new record, which I’m not even going to talk about since I don’t have the new record in my hands ready for you to hear (guilty).

I have been busy though. I toured with Joe Cocker last summer in support of his new record, “Hard Knocks”, which I also submitted songs for (none of my songs made it, next time though..).

After that I worked with Cher at Caesars Palace in Vegas in the fall. Then I did the Capitol Jazz Cruise.
In the spring of this year I did a workshop for a new play directed by THE Bill T. Jones (Fela). So I have definitely been busy.

In fact, I have a show coming up this very weekend at the lovely Feinsteins Nighclub. This will be my first show in two and a half years and I’m hoping to see all of you there..

The information is below.

FEINSTEINS AT LOEWS REGENCY PRESENTS VIVIAN SESSOMS IN CONCERT

This Sunday, August 7th, 2011 – 8pm
540 Park Avenue (corner of 61st Street)
212.339.4095
$20. Advance/ $25. Door (Dinner required)

Featuring:
Chris Parks - bass
Sherrod Barnes - guitar
Ron Thompson - piano
Eric Brown - drums
Tim Ries - saxophone
Mark McGowan - trumpet
Clark Gayton - trombone

The show is called I Am Music. I called it that because I still love music as much today, as when I was a kid sitting in front of the record player.
I’ll be featuring new music from 2 different records, songs from the last CD, Sunny One Day, and music I’ve written for other artists.

I have a KILLER band and you guys know I don’t do things halfway, so you know we will be JAMMING up in Feinsteins. Make your reservations quick because tickets are going fast.

‘Til Sunday, here’s a little something (further below) for you to read, my latest blog post, written by a childhood friend of mine, Gerald McDonald, about our first band together.
See you Sunday, and remember, music can change the world..

Vivian

"Where I’m From (Pt 1)..

Without mentioning the year, Id like say that the culmination of this event took place during the summer of my last year in elementary school.

I’d always loved music and wanted to play and instrument badly. So, in the beginning of that school year I joined the P.S. 92, Mary McCloud Bethune School’s Orchestra. I had no idea what instrument to choose.
The music instructor, Mrs. Stratfield, suggested the cello, and I agreed.
From cello I went on to play bass guitar.

A great friend of mine, Julian Green, who lived in the St. Nicholas Projects (I lived in Lionel Hampton Houses), and his brother, Tim Green, had already been playing guitar professionally in Funk bands and performing all over Europe. Well Tim began to teach Julian guitar and me Bass.

We learned pretty quickly too. By the end of the spring we’d formed a band with two brothers, also from the St. Nicholas Projects: Kenny and Everett Veasley. Their older brother Freddy played Funk keyboards professionally. He taught Everett keys, and Kenny taught himself to play drums – by ear - and he was funky. After joining forces we still needed a place to practice and someway or another, we got Mr. Byrd to give us open access to a room in the St. Nicholas Projects Community Center, of which he was in charge.

By mid summer we’d already had a few songs “down pat” and were pretty tight! We added a percussionist, “Big Larry” to the band and were well on our way to stardom, LOL!!! The only thing that we needed was singers.

Before I go any further, I must take you back to the beginning of the school year. Our teacher that year, Mrs. Judy Evans, was amazingly educated and Afro-centric. She taught us as if she were teaching adults, giving us the gumption to reach for whatever we wanted in life. We were the “TOP” class for that year.

Well, a couple days after the school year had begun, Mrs. Evans made an announcement to the class that we’d be having a new student, that had been skipped a couple of grades, joining our class. You can imagine the chatter in the room. Seemed as if no one wanted a “Nerd” joining our class and we were about to give this new kid hell! But, on that day, in walked the cutest, prettiest little girl I’d ever seen. She was scared and timid to the point of being terrified. But,… She was beautiful. That was the first time I had ever set eye on “Vivian Sessoms”.

Now,… Back to the story!"


Check back next week for Part 2.. ;-)