Where In The World Is Vivian??

My nephew and his dad in front of the Rockerfeller Center Tree..


As my friend Kevin would say, “where in the world is Vivian Sessoms?” He’s always telling me “You should write about your adventures and keep people posted on what you’re doing, they’re interested in knowing where you are and who you’re working with and all that jazz”.

You know, I get on these tangents sometimes, where I say I’m gonna’ write a blog and I have all these ideas in my head but I don’t sit down right away and put anything down and then I forget what I wanted to write about. My memory has gone to hell..

Anyways, hey you guys! I know it’s been a while, sorry about that. I expect we’re all getting ready as best we can for Christmas what with the snow and all. I, for once, did all my shopping early this year, as I planned to be out of town for Xmas. Actually, I planned to see Rob Thomas for my birthday and then spend the holiday with my nephew and fam, but alas work calls so here I am in snowy Slovakia (formerly Czechoslovakia). It’s a beautiful country, and I’m working very little so I’m getting to see a lot of the city I’m in (Bratislava). It’s only 30 minutes from Vienna (where I used to live some years back), and I’m performing with truly gifted musicians which is a real treat.

For Christmas I will head to London for a few days and spend time with a few of my closest friends and their family. One of the great things about being on the road is making new friends and keeping up with old friends. My buddy Everton Nelson is a brilliant violinist, who plays on practically every movie soundtrack we hear today. His wife Julia is a wonderful artist/graphic designer/singer who can cook her you know what off, so can Everton for that matter, so I’m very much looking forward to seeing them both. They have a beautiful little girl named Sienna who absolutely melts my heart every time I hear her voice with her little British accent. It’s too friggin’ adorable. Must pick up presents before I leave.

Enough with the travelogue for now. Let’s talk about music for a bit shall we? So the new record is, I would say, over half done. Thing is, I’ve been dragging my feet on it because I really want to do some things differently this time around so I’ve been spending time researching and doing my homework. Also, might be moving to LA next year so that might take a little time. In the meantime, for all of you who have been asking when is the record coming out, I’m going to preview some new tracks and pics from the new record in February, so stay tuned for that.
You can also look forward to a few unreleased tracks from the last record even sooner and of course, I’ll keep you posted on all that good stuff.

On another note, we got a very nice album review from our friends over at SoulTalk/BlogTalk Radio (thanks Duane ;-)), which you can read below. Duane has invited me to be a guest DJ on the show over the next few weeks. When I get the dates I’ll let you guys know so you can tune in. Usually at this time of year I do a list of my favorite albums for the year but this year I will count it down on the show so make sure to tune in.
I’m giving shout outs to a real eclectic mix of albums and artists this year as a nod to my changing genres with this next record.. I’m feeling something very different musically these days which I just can’t wait to share with you all.

I’m planning to do a show in February and I’ll be promoting a couple shows this spring as well so check the site for those dates.

Last but not least, I wanna’ give a heartfelt thanks to everyone for all the lovely birthday wishes. I got calls, and emails and messages on fb and every other mode of communication I can think of but it was awesome! Totally awesome!! So thank you to everyone for remembering me on my birthday. In return, I’d like to wish you all lots of love and joy this holiday season. May you be fruitful and prosperous in the New Year.
And remember, music can change the world..

Vivian


Reviewed by DAS aka Soul Talk 12/02/09
Albright - Sunny One Day

The talented duo of Vivian Sessoms & Chris Parks brings a very unique kind of soul sound to your ears; the smooth production with Vivian’s beautiful voice is very refreshing. Vivian takes you on a lyrical and vocal journey that speaks directly to your soul; she has a voice that seems to travel from jazz to soft R&B. The melodies and chord arrangements of the tracks are nicely done, just right for relaxed listening. On this CD entitled “Sunny One Day” it is difficult to pick a particular favorite because each has its own element.

“Oh Baby” gives you the sexy, crooning side of Vivian’s voice, where the title track “Sunny One Day” has a warm inviting feeling. “Its Alright” is a very soothing song with an upbeat tempo. The writing style of these two artists is sure to continue getting attention and garnering fans. Of the many female vocalists out there I would say that Vivian is definitely among the best of them.

www.blogtalkradio.com/expressionloveandpassion
http://www.onixlink.com/black-music/album-sunny-one-day-albright-feat-vivian-sessoms/

Indy Star Adventures (ISA): ep2

Viv, Jen & indie artist J. Henry

Hey everybody,
Viv here with the next ep of the ISA.

Today I’m going to talk a little bit more about prospective managers.
Using The Secret and all the other principles I know to draw the right manager to me, lol, I’ve been spending time talking to people, asking questions, brainstorming, etc.
What I’ve been finding is that the best candidates are coming up in the most unlikely places.

Part of the reason for this is that most established managers in the industry are looking for a very established artist (mainly in record sales and or following) to work with, thereby missing out on the potential great artist that may unwittingly cross their path. Of course this is understandable, tried and tested is always preferable albeit not always available these days.

While most of us musicians and music lovers have heard nothing but how much the industry is changing for the last 3 or 4 years, and indeed it has changed greatly, I still think that it has changed in our favour (independent musicians). I think there are more opportunities available to indie artists than ever before, but it’s also harder to know what’s out there, when we probably have more artists making music now than ever before in the history of music.

Another reason to look in unlikely places, is that being independent, you can probably be better guided by someone who isn’t chained to outdated modes and ideals. Someone thinking completely out of the box at this time, is probably just the thing that’s needed, considering the fact that at this time in the music business, almost anything goes.. fresh ideas, new approaches and independent thinking are welcome.

With that, I’ll tell you about my 2 latest prospects.
Long shots to say the least, but two very different people who I believe with the right amount of hard work & vision could be absolutely perfect partners for steering this venture.

They are both women.

The first is a seasoned former exec with many years of experience in the music industry, having worked at Viacom, Sony, a few other companies I cant remember and lastly as the GM of a large independent record/management company. She quit because she didn’t care for the label heads business practices and modus operandi (INTEGRITY, gotta love her for that). She has an entrepreneurial spirit which she showed in opening up her own restaurant a few years ago (which means she has valuable experience in other areas of business), she’s funny, and smart, charming as hell and a true people person, which for me is an absolute plus since I’m a shy type. Plus she’s a go-getter so it’s almost a no brainer. The downside is she has a young family and lots of family stuff happening (which isn’t a downside for me at all, but could be hard to balance as a wife and mother). Still, she’s a woman who carved out a niche for herself in a predominately male run industry and climbed up the corporate ladder all on her own.

I should preface this next paragraph by stating that the second candidate doesn’t seem to want manage, or rather doesn’t know if she’d make a good one, although it’s pretty much what she does all day. Let’s just say she’s an amazing coordinator and/or orchestrator. She works in marketing outside the music business but has a deep and intuitive love for music and musicians. She is one of those keepers of the flames so to speak. It’s crystal clear to me, as it probably is to most everyone that come into contact with her, that she should be doing something in the entertainment industry, but just what that is, she’s still unclear about. Still she is one of those people that enters a room and will know a little something about everyone before she leaves it and what’s more, everyone that comes into contact with her wants to know her and enjoys her company as she is knowledgeable in just about everything. That’s a gift. You can call her up and ask for a contact to any person anywhere in the music business and she will either know someone or find someone who does. Now that’s what I call SPARK! Plus she’s a people person as well and has a natural curiosity and a sharp wit. The downside as I said earlier, is that she doesn’t see herself as manager exactly.

2 brilliant and accomplished prospective managers none the less.

Stay tuned and look for the first video blog next week featuring new music.
Thanks for reading,
Vivian

remember.. music can change the world.

Lost Ones.. an open love letter.. (part I)

(*note - reprinted from albrightmusic.com - feb 2008)

Dear Lauren & D..
I just gotta ask.....
Where are you?
Do you know we miss you?
Do you know we are all here waiting patiently for the 2 of you to return and grace us with your music?
Do you know how much you are loved, championed, and adored by the rest of us?

Lauren..
We've all heard the stories..
We know it's hard living your life out in the open for all the world to see and sometimes judge, but I promise you, the people that judge you are not your real fans or at least not your best fans.

We know you had unpleasant dramas with your former co-producers and writers but did you know... we don't care?
Do you know how many of us don't give a damn if you didn't write a fucking word on 'Miseducation' because the bottom line is NOBODY could sing those songs like you do?
And I'm not even saying you didn't write those songs, I'm just saying most of us don't care!
Because your voice, your presentation, YOU are such a magnificent talent, you could sing tha' damn phonebook and I'd still be first in line to buy it!

I still listen to 'Miseducation' and your 'MTV Unplugged' cd's today and I still love them every bit as much today as I did when I first heard them.
I remember the first time I heard 'Lost Ones', I was in a store in Greenwhich Village in New York.
I was in a fitting room trying on clothes, that song came on and I was like 'OH SHIT!' I came out of the fitting room and started dancing.. (I put my clothes back on 1st, haha)
When that song went off I walked right over to Tower Records to find out when the album would be released and if the single was available.
That was back in the day when you could still buy a cd single and if it wasn't out yet you'd wait patiently for the song to come on the radio.
I remember how people used to talk about 'Miseducation' being groundbreaking and innovative and fresh, and it was, it was all that and more. People were comparing it to Bob Marley and the Beatles.
Maybe there have been other personal dramas in your life, demons you've had to put to rest..
We all understand the need for private time and a personal life but PLEASE don't let whatever those issues are make you stay away from us forever. We need your thoughts, your ideas and your emotion, we need that voice. We need you..

(To be con't..)