vivian sessoms: blog

The Albri​ght Farew​ell Chris​tmas Show.​.​
With very speci​al guest​,​ ROGIE​RS perfo​rming​ songs​ from his new release!​

Tuesd​ay,​ Decem​ber 23rd,​ 2008
The Bitte​r End
147 Bleec​ker Stree​t (​Bet'​n LaGuardia & Thomp​son)​
New York NY 10012​
(​212)​ 673-​7030
Price​:​ $12.00

Don'​t miss the last perfo​rmanc​e of Albri​ght as they celeb​rate the holidays,​ close​ out the 2008 & say goodb​ye.​.​


Featu​ring:
Ainsley Taylor/​drums​
Sherr​od Barne​s/​guita​r
Bahnamous Bowie/​keys
Mike Hammond/vox
Carlos Ricketts/vox
& of cours​e Chris​ Parks​ on bass
and Vivia​n Sesso​ms on lead vocal​s.​.​

I love you..
always,
your little girl..

Happy Birthday you two..
I love you.

Love, Music & Politics. .
Hey everybody..

Viv here with Albright updates..

So we're just getting warmed up on the P!nk promo tour! So far we've
hit the UK (where I reconnected with my boy Julian Velard),
Australia, Cananda, Germany, and Switzerland. We've done American
Idol in Australia and the MTV awards in both the US & Australia. .
This week the band will hit NY minus me though, as I am in Denmark doing shows with super talent and musical cohort Mads Baerentzen..
You might remember I did a short tour in Denmark with Mads last year around this time, and the year before, I was a guest on his cd 'The New York Project (http://cdbaby.com/cd/madsbaerentzen). We played to a packed house last night and the venue expects double the crowd tonight.. Not too shabby I dare say, but I do wonder where they'll put all the people ;-)

Anyways, just wanna' fill you guys in on all that's new with Albright. We've got 5 or 6 shows planned for December, two of which will be in NY. Since these will be two of our only shows in the Big Apple this year we're gonna' have a contest so you can win tickets and some very cool prizes but first, we're gonna' test your Albright knowledge so you might wanna' poke around the site a little and hone in on your Chris & Viv factoids. We'll keep you posted on the contest. Honestly, I can't wait to come home and do a live show.. I miss you guys.

In other news.. we had a song placed in a movie a while back. It took some time but the movie is finally set to be released this fall.. It's called Moonlight Serenade and features a song we wrote and produced for jazz artist Khani Cole. The song is called 'Things You Do', and you can find the track on Khani Cole's album, Lifetime (itunes, Amazon). The movie features jazz organist Joey Defrancesco in the
lead role and is about a composer who, after having writers block
comes up with a melody for a love song and ours is the song he
composes. The song actually winds up being used as a musical theme
throughout the film. We owe a big thanks to Mike Florio, Joey
Defrancesco and Khani Cole for making this happen. Stop by Khani's
site for a visit and say hi.. (http://www.khanicole.com)

Next up, Albright in AMC movie theatres across the US.. So many of
you have written to say you saw or heard us while you were at the
movies these past few months.. Well, we'll be back in theatres
starting in November but this time we'll be in 10,000 theatres across
the US featuring a new song from our album called 'Dunno What'. Look
for us and be sure to drop us a line if you hear our song, that's how
we know where we're playing and who's listening..

Moving right along.. Your girl Viv is in the movies!! Yep, little ole' me.. But if you blink you will definitely miss me so, you know... don't blink, or move or anything! Hahaha.. I wrote about this a few weeks back but the release date is near so check me out in Cadillac Records this December, starring Beyonce Knowles, Alicia Keys, Gabrielle Union, Jeffrey Wright, Mos Def (loves him!), Cedric the Entertainer & Adrian Brody. The part is really tiny but hey, I'm in excellent company. I think I kind of like this acting thing, lol.

Also in the works, a solo record from Chris P, which if you know
Chris will be some outerspaceness for ya! He describes it as hip hop
meets electronica meets fusion, so.... um.. you know, you'll just
have to wait to hear what that combination equals but I can guarantee ya', it'll be a stone gas! In addition to his solo project, Chris is
working with DJ and hip hop producer Twilite Tone (Common), and fixin' to mix U-God of Wu Tangs next disc. He's working on a track
with producer Robin Danar, who produced a great album last year
called Altered State and is also recording with Finish soul/pop
artist Janita. I don't know how he keeps it all straight but go on
Chris, go 'head, git' down!

Last but not least, Albright has 2 new homes on the net.. the first
one, Twitter (http://twitter.com/viviansessoms) is a cool place where you can subscribe to our feed and get up to the minute Albright blurbs about where we are, what's new and how the new record is coming (did I say that? 4 songs in.. shhhh ...) You'll definitely wanna' follow along over the next few months, there are lots of changes happening as we prepare to take over the world!

And don't forget our other new home is on Facebook
(http://www.facebook.com/pages/ALBRIGHT-feat-Vivian-Sessoms/29486263741). I have to admit, at first I didn't know what all the fuss was about. It's just another myspace or so I thought, but noooo ... it's so much more and I'm really digging it, hopefully you will too, so stop on byyy, you know you're welcome ;-)

Well I think that' s about all the news fit to print, I guess we'll
see you on the other side of the election, fingers crossed, prayers
sent up.. Everything's in motion now.. Darlings, please don't forget
to vote! I voted early for the first time in my life this week. Still
time to make a last minute donation
(http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/viv).

Remember, music, art, film, books or anyone with a voice or a pen can
change the world.

Thank you for your love & support

Albright aka
Viv & Chris

Albri​ght'​s got a new faceb​ook page.​.​
to check​ us out click​ the link below​
peace​ & love

Albright on Facebook

Hello, hello, hello beautiful people!
Vivian of Albright here..
It's been such a long time, I know, and for that I am truly sorry. To make up for it I have lots of news which should bring you all up to speed..

LATEST TOUR INFO - First off, I just finished up an incredible tour with the legendary Joe Cocker who co-headlined with the Steve Miller band.
It was a truly amazing experience watching Joe every night, just thrilling, especially when we played Woodstock.
The town of Woodstock just opened up an interactive museum in which Joe features prominently.
The museum had video clips and interviews of people who were at the original Woodstock, clips of the performances, original posters, news paper articles and reviews. Still, the highlight of the entire tour was hearing Joe sing ‘By With A Little Help From My Friends’ every night.

In between the Joe Cocker tour, I managed to squeeze in a few gigs with jazz trumpeter Chris Botti as well as Patti Labelle on the CBS early show, who looked and sounded absolutely flawless at 5 am in the morning!

Chris has picked up the acoustic bass and been backing Deborah Cox since the spring, who by the way, is as lovely in person as you can imagine.
I went straight from Joe Cocker back to rehearse with P!nk who is gearing up to release her new cd this fall, so if you see us in your town be sure to come check us out!

LATEST ‘SUNNY ONE DAY’ INFO - In other news, Sunny One Day is now being distributed by Select-O-Hits here in the states, thanks to our friend and marketing person Kevin Harewood of Edclectic Entertainment. We’re also being distributed in Japan by P-Vine Records so hopefully you should be able to find us in bigger stores over the next few months, if not, just ask for the cd and the store will order it. Stay tuned for details on distribution in the UK!
Lastly, check out new reviews up in the press section of our website and a brand new interview with Tom Paul over at our favorite internet hangout, SOUL TRACKS..
http://www.soultracks.com/story-tp-albright
ALBRIGHT ON THE RADIO! - We just got a lot of station adds across the country. If you want to know where, go to the news section of our site where I will post a list of stations playing us in a bit.
You can also hear us in AMC Movie Theatres and Subway Sandwich Shops where our second single ‘In Between Worlds’ is being played, along with a short bio on Albright.

LATEST SHOW INFO - We have shows in the works in LA, Mass, Tenn and DC and we’re planning a live taping for a dvd release next year. Got a lot of good stuff planned in upcoming months and we’ll keep you posted on all the details but for now, BE SURE TO CHECK ALBRIGHT OUT THIS SATURDAY along with SHAE FIOL & REEL PEOPLE at:
Nu Soul Saturday’s/Frank’s Lounge
Time - 9pm
Cover - $10.00
660 Fulton St, Bklyn NY, 12217
(718) 625-9339

Hope To See You There!!
‘Til then take care, thanks for listening and DON’T FORGET TO VOTE!!
http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/viv

NOW FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY!

Get your copy of 'Sunny One Day' for just $6.99!!

That's right, for JUST $6.99 you can get 'Sunny One Day' as part of an experimental promotion which we'd like you to be a part of..

Dear friends & family..

It's not often in one's lifetime that we get to witness a political
campaign that inspires, that empowers, that has been inclusive of so many, as the one we are witnessing now. Perhaps that's because it's rare that a candidate comes along that we as a people feel we can believe in wholeheartedly. A candidate that we believe will do exactly as he says, says exactly what he means, and whose intellect, compassion and sincerity resonate with so many of us.

Though I know there have been many, in my lifetime, I have only seen two such candidates. I watched when Jimmy Carter came into office and even though I wasn't old enough to vote or to even fully understand the true merit of a President like Jimmy Carter, I understood through numerous family discussions and their subsequent reaction to his
winning that it was an important time in the world.
I only began to understand much later the kinds of changes that Jimmy Carter was able to implement in this country economically, environmentally and diplomatically.

Later on, I came of voting age during Bill Clinton's campaign and was so thrilled to be able to vote for a candidate that I actually
believed in! One who's brilliance, generosity of spirit and love for
the people of this country was palpable and heartwarming. What's
striking about this to me now, is that I had already become jaded
enough to be prepared not to believe in any candidate.

After President Clinton's departure from office, I am saddened to say
that I personally became so disinterested, then disgusted with, and finally, completely without hope in the democratic process. In the last 8 years I have witnessed things within the current
administration that have made me feel angry, ashamed, disheartened
and incredulous. More importantly, I'd begun to feel disenfranchised
enough to wonder if perhaps my vote didn't even matter.

And then out of nowhere came a breath of fresh air.. a ray of light..
a sliver of hope.. and his name was Barack Obama..

After witnessing atrocities like 9/11, the aftermath of Katrina and
the Iraqi war, I think we can all understand what it means to begin
to have a sense of hope again.
I, like so many of you, have found Barack to be a voice of reason, a
voice that has reminded us that the political process IS OURS to
shape as we will. A voice that has encouraged and inspired me to
remember that my vote is important, that I CAN make a difference and that we can stop this madness that the Republican party has unleashed on each and everyone of us!

Now, once again I have the feeling of important changes taking place
within our nation and of being a part of something bigger. I have
that feeling of bearing witness to that rarest of things.. a campaign
headed by a candidate who not only restores my faith in the political process, but who makes me feel as though HE believes in AND understands the power of that process. A process, he reminds us, that each of us has the right to be a part of. Here, at last, is a
candidate who makes me want to get up, go out and find others who
will join me in making our overwhelming need for change a reality.

Barack Obama has proven he is committed to changing the political
process by building a campaign founded on a broad base of support
from ordinary Americans like ourselves. For Barack this campaign is NOT about winning the "prize" (as stated by Senator McCain), but
instead about putting the people's interests ahead of the special
interests, and to do that, Barack needs help from people like us.

In light of all this, I decided I needed to do something, to get
involved somehow, so I've started a fund raising page on the Barack
Obama website. I've set my own personal fund raising goal for the
campaign, which you will see when you visit the page. Will you click
the thermometer to make a donation and help us reach our goal?

I have no doubt that many of you have more than likely already
contributed to the Obama campaign, but if you haven't or even if you have, let us put our money where our mouths are and not just watch this historical time in politics but be an active part of it as well.

If we want to see change, why not let that change start with us..

Please give what you can. Go to:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/viv
Thank you for listening,

Vivian Sessoms
for Barack Obama

Hey gang,
Long time no speak!
Hope you all are enjoying the summer so far,
or at least keeping cool in this heat.

Just a couple news flashes..
First, be sure to catch Vivian, Jenny Douglas McRae and Keith Fluitt backing up the incomparable Patti Labelle on the CBS Morning show this Thursday, June 12th. Check your guide for the time..

On Friday night catch Vivian & Chris up at Billie's Black in Harlem
doing a tribute to his purple badness, Prince.
We will also be ringing the champagne glasses for our boy (and
beloved bass player) Carlos Henderson, and we gon' PARTY LIKE IT'S
1999!!
Don't miss it!

Friday, June 13th
Billie's Black
271 West 119th Street
(Bet'n Fredrick Douglass & St. Nicholas Blvd.)
7:30 pm
$5.00 cover (per set)
$15.00 minimum at tables (Great Food!)

Then catch Vivian back on the summer tour with the legendary JOE COCKER, check your Timeout listings for ticket info.

Last but not least, check us out in the spring issue of UPTOWN MAGAZINE..

Have a great summer everybody, see you in the fall..
Viv & Chris

The TRUMUSIC Series is proud to present the fabulous
Miss Rosalyn McClore performing tonite at:

Rockwood Music Hall - 6pm
196 Allen Street (Bet'n Houston & Stanton)
NY NY, 10002
(No Cover)
Wednesday, May 21st

Born in Memphis, Tennessee , Rosalyn grew up playing gospel music in
church every Sunday starting at the age of 13. Formal instruction
began at age seven, "My parents were constantly seeking out more
challenging learning environments for me." By the time Rosalyn
reached Memphis State University, she had discovered a deep love for
jazz. In addition to studying with a classical instructor as well as
a jazz instructor, Rosalyn studied privately with the great jazz
pianists, Phinneaus Newborne Jr, and Mulgrew Miller. "It was then
that I started listening to Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, and Nancy
Wilson". This is where Rosalyn developed a love for cabaret style
singing and performing.

Since moving to NY Rosalyn has performed for Sting, Micheal Jordan,
Martha Stewart, the Kennedy family, and Ron Perelman. In addition she
has also performed at Helen's Hideaway Lounge and other major venues
in NY where she has received stellar reviews.

John Hoglund of Backstage Magazine has said "After spotting exciting
newcomer Rosalyn McClore at this years' Cabaret Convention, I felt
compelled to see more. From her two numbers on stage at Lincoln
Center, it was obvious she knew her way around a hot keyboard and a
song. Her show, featuring the songs of Stephen Sondheim and Nina
Simone and backed by a three-piece band, proved a serious step
towards gaining recognition. She is sassy, dramatic, sensual, and
fully committed to her material. And not only can she sing well, she
can interpret with style and bring new meaning to familiar tunes.
- Nov 2005

You don't wanna miss this show..
See you there.

Dear Albright Family,

Having been in the music business for many years, the stage had been
set perfectly for the release of Vivian Sessoms and Chris Parks cd
Sunny One Day. Owning & operating their own label baby Buddha Records
has required the two to learn to be many things including producer,
manager, accountant, etc..
But here's a little something you didn't know about Vivian Sessoms,
she's also a promoter..
A few years back she was hired by the owners of The Village
Underground to bring soul and R&B artists into the club, and she
loved it!
It gave Vivian the opportunity to share with other artists,
musicians & friends the wonderful artistry she was discovering along
the way.
During her time there she booked artists as diverse as Roberta Flack,
Lalah Hathaway & Patti Austin to Heavy, Sara Divine, and Abby Dobson
to name a few.

The state of the music business being what it is these days, you will
hear many say the music business is dying, but for for those of us
with the independent & entrepreneurial spirit, we know it is being
reborn at this exact moment in time.
If you need proof then make sure to be at The Bitter End this Tuesday
evening for the premiere of Vivian's TRUMUSIC SERIES. The TRUMUSIC
SERIES is a series of shows that Vivian will promote over the next
few years showcasing music and artists that Vivian both admires and
wants to support. The series is meant to focus on the truth and
beauty in music, the uniting & healing powers and the ministry &
magic of music. The artists featured are ones that Vivian feels get
to the heart & truth of music. The first artists to be presented are
the magnificent JENNY DOUGLAS McRAE, and incredible CHEVY bringing
their own brands of funky ass rock & roll to the scene.

Tuesday April 1st
The Bitter End
147 Bleecker Street
NY. NY 10012
7pm
$6.00

Jenny Douglas McRae has worked with everyone under the sun from Janet
to Cher, to Tina to P!nk to everyone in between. She has written for
Lalah Hathaway as well as Vivian, she's acted on and off Broadway and
is an all around brilliant talent and beautiful person as you will
see for yourself on Tuesday as she hypnotizes you with her song.

Chevy, built to last and here to stay, is the new comer on the scene
and is making her debut on Tuesday evening. For those of you who
don't know, Chevy has worked with Chaka Khan, Beyonce, Mary J Blige &
Faith Evans and is about to shine in her own light..
You don't wanna miss it.

We hope to see you on Tuesday, & please stay tuned for more info on
the TRUMUSIC SERIES.
Thank you for supporting independent music because...music really can
change the world..

Trumusic/Albright Team

Hey Everybody,

Viv here with a quick reminder..
This Saturday, March 15th at 3pm, we'll be doing the In-Store
for Sound of Market Records in Philly.
Tell your friends in Philly to drop by and hang with us..

Sound of Market
15 South 11th Street
2nd Floor
Phila PA, 19107

Also, on Tuesday, March 18th at 7pm, Chris and I will be doing an acoustic set at:

Rockwood Music Hall
196 Allen Street
(bet'n. Houston & Stanton)
NY NY, 10002

See you there,
Peace
Viv

Hey everybody ;-)

Viv with a quick update of upcoming ALBRIGHT events in March.
This is gonna be a packed month starting with this weekend,
when James 'Biscuit' Rouse (Drummer/Vocalist/Producer) and myself
will do a PRINCE tribute at:

Solomons Porch Cafe
307 Stuyvesant Avenue
Brooklyn NY, 11233

Saturday, March 1st
8pm (2 sets)
$10.00

featuring:
Stan Davis Jr. on Guitar/Keys
& Carlos Henderson on Bass


Then on Saturday, March 15th at 3pm, we've rescehduled the In-Store
for Sound of Market record store in Philly.
Tell all your friends in Philly to come check us out..

Sound of Market
15 South 11th Street
2nd Floor
Phila PA, 19107

On Tuesday, March 18th at 7pm, Chris and I will do an acoustic set
at:

Rockwood Music Hall
196 Allen Street
(bet'n. Houston & Stanton)
NY NY, 10002


On Thursday, March 20th at 7pm, I will be on WBAI radio as part of an
independent artist's panel which will also inlcude the wonderful
Cheryl 'Pepsii' Riley, Nicole Shelly of Blackbushe and Maya Azucena
to discuss the state of independent music. Hosted by Basir Mchawi, be
sure to tune in..


On Friday evening, March 21st, I'll be doing a jazz hit with a whole
cast of characters at:

Ruthie Mae's Restaurant
90 West Palisade Avenue
Englewood NJ, 07631


Then finally, to wrap it all up Chris and I will do our last acoustic
set of the month with David Keaton & the Organix Soul crew up in
Springfield Mass at the:

Holiday Inn/ Panorama Restaurant
711 Dwight Street
Springfield Mass, 01104


Lot of good music going on this month, hope you can make it out to
see some..

Peace & love
thanks for reading,

Hey Everybody,

Viv here with an update on tomorrows In-Store at Sound of Market Record Store in Philly.
Due to the inclement weather the In-Store has been postponed but I will let you all know as soon as it's rescheduled so hang tight!

Looks like we were gonna see a lot of familiar faces tomorrow too, by the looks of the e-mails Chris & I were getting so be on the the lookout for a new date in the next week or 2.

'Til then stay warm
& be happy..
Viv

Hey everybody,
Hope you're all well and keeping warm.
It's Viv here, with a bit of Albright news..
We're doing our very first in store with a live acoustic performance by Chris and myself:

This Saturday,
Feb. 23rd, 2008
Time: 3pm
Place: Sound of Market Record Store
15 South 11th Street, 2nd Fl.
Philadelphia Pa, 19107
Phone: (215) 925-3150

For those of you who don't know, I grew up in Philly for part of my childhood. My dad was from Philly and my granparents are still there.
So to all my Philly people come out and hang with us and bring a friend. We'll be signing cd's after the performance so stick around and say hello..

We've got a lot of exciting stuff coming up this year, too much to tell you all about it now, but for a quick bit of news, Chris and I will be doing 2 acoustic sets, one at Rockwood Music Hall & the other at Organix Soul (Springfield, Mass) next month.. Also, I'll be promoting a couple shows this year as well, starting with Jenny Douglas McRae/ & Chevis Packer at the Bitter End in March. You all do not wanna miss this show so stay tuned for more info.
'Til then be well, and see you soon..

Peace&love

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

..And what about you D?
How much longer do we have to wait for the next one?
We all know you recorded about 10 albums worth of material when you did 'Voodoo'.
Can't we just get an EP? A single leaked to the internet?? Somethin'?
I've just about played the words of 'Brown Sugar' and 'Voodoo'.
You know you single handedly changed the the sound of R&B music in the nineties, don't you?
There are many others that have done great things in music but you are one of the few that gave us a brand new sound..
New for us anyways..

Let's see... before you, there was Scott Joplin, Little Richard (or) Chuck Berry (don't know which of the 2 of them is credited with bringing rock and roll to the world), Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gilespie, Bob Marley, Teddy Riley and you..
Now there were many other folks who came before you.. Sly Stone, Jimi Hendryx, Miles Davis, Ella & Sarah, Duke, Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, Michael, Stevie, Curtis, Marvin, Al, Earth Wind & Fire, and on & on, not to mention Ludwig Von Beethoven, as black artists who have been groundbreaking and forward thinking but there are only a few that we can truly say started a genre or had a musical term coined after their music..
You are one of the few..

One of the things that makes you different is that you openly admit you've studied and learned from the masters and freely share with us who our masters are and who we should be listening to, if we didn't already know....
Sadly, some of us didn't.
You encouraged us to go back and listen and learn by sharing the adventures of the 'Soulquarians'.
Didn't we all wanna be up in those sessions?
Up in tha' house that Jimi Hendryx built, watching videos of Curtis and Sly, Bobby Womack, Al Green, Donny & Prince, smoking a joint, having a lil' taste of Jesus juice and then jamming for 'bout 8 or 9 hours straight..

You know what I'm sayin'?
Sometimes an artist comes along and makes everybody that isn't black want to be black so badly, if only for a time, just to have that real true black experience of our music , our culture, and being a part of something so soulful... so smoky... so earthy...and beautiful... that when that artist sings their song, black people everywhere look at everybody else with that knowing look in their eyes, their heads cocked to the side like 'we have a secret and the secret is, yeah...it's good to be us, you heard that song, you heard what he said, you seen the video, that's what we look like, that's what we do when we party, that represents us and we know you wanna be us!'
'Brown Sugar' is still one of those songs that if you hear it in the club or at a house party, when it starts with tha' 'ba-down ba-down'.. er'body in tha' room gets a crick in they neck (yeah I said 'they',) a hump in they back, arms go up in the air and asses gits up off tha' chair... 'uh uh uh uhhh, oooh wa oooh wa oooooh, clack' you put that song on and even the most unfunky, unsoulful mofo's in tha world become instantly cool as they get transported to the scene of Marvin Gayes 'I Want You' album cover or the 'Got 'Til It's Gone' video by Ms. Janet..

I've only run up to the front of the stage for 2 concerts in my ENtar life..
One was for Al green (there is a hilarious story that goes along with that ep) and yours..
I was at your show with my boyfriend and it was understood that even though HE bought the tickets and I was there with HIM, HE WOULD have to get over it 'cuase I WAS going up to the front of the stage and would kick another bitches ass (I'm usually very loving to my sisters) if she ain't (that's right I said ain't ) move over!

We've been hearing for a couple years now that there's an album in the works..
We hope to God that's true..
That would make my year for music!

Last week I was checking out the October edition of Vibe magazine with Chris Brown on it's cover.
Lot of good stories in there but one that really caught me was the story on the rise and fall of the Debarge family, a most beloved first family of r&b music.
It was a tragic story of fame and drugs followed by a fall from grace, & behind that, an extremely abusive father, a passive mother, lawsuits, prison, death AND underneath all of that...a most beautiful legacy of music that the survivors in the family struggle to keep alive.
Don't be that D, please, we beg of you... don't ever be that..
Don't be that star who shined so brightly and then burned out too quickly leaving us all here with crushing memories of what you could have been, should have been...
Black people live that reality all too often. Our Icons give us hope, someone to look up to, something to strive for.. Especially the musical ones because you give us a song to sing and to put in our hearts, a soundtrack to live our lives to...

happy birthday D..


WE love and miss you both

the first blog i ever posted was in honor of you.
all that i am is all because of you.
happy birthday my love..

My sis Sybil, best friend Eddie & me on my b'day..

Toni, Chevy, Mike and me holdin' it down..

I want to take a few moments to thank everyone for coming out and celebrating my birthday with me last Wednesday.
We had an awesome time and it was an incredible evening, made even more special by our guests Africa Miranda & TL Cross.
Friends I haven't seen in years came by to say happy birthday, and our publicist Katrina surprised me on stage with a beautiful cake!
It had my picture on it! How did she do that? lol..
We have lots of pictures from the
evening so take a look in the photo and journal sections when you get a chance.

More importantly though, I want to thank all of you for your wonderful support throughout the year.
We've gotten lots of emails from family, old friends & new friends about the cd and we appreciate all the love you guys have shown us these past months.

All in all, it's been a crazy year, but I wouldn't trade one minute of it. We've met many incredible people, did things we only dreamed were possible and got to do the thing we love best, make music we believe in.

I can't wait to see what the new year will bring and of course we hope you all will be sharing it with us.
From our family to yours, we wish you a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!
I've gotta go tend to my greens now, ;-)

Peace, blessings & love
Vivian & Chris

Me & Chris..

Fam..

Actin' a fool..

Check an interview with host Wayne Boucaud of Camden Community Radio and Chris & Vivian, as they talk about the making of Sunny One Day, their respective careers and all things Albright.
Shout out to Wayne & the CC Radio Family. Wayne was so awesome to talk to, he put us right at ease and we had such a good time, we stayed in the pub talking for hours after the interview!
Click the link below for the stream, Enjoy!
http://www.ccradio.org/programmes/music.htm

http://www.sandandsorrow.org Hello all,
I just wanted to post something on a movie I watched today and was so moved by.
If you have a chance, please watch it or buy it (available on dvd January 2008).

SAND AND SORROW

Darfur, Sudan
Offered exclusive and unparalleled access to the situation on the ground inside Darfur, Peabody award-winning filmmaker, Paul Freedman ("Rwanda - Do Scars Ever Fade?"), joins a contingent of African Union peacekeeping forces in Darfur while a tragic and disturbing chapter in human history unfolds. While the heroic men and women of this undermanned and under-funded mission brave harsh conditions and unfettered violence, as many as 2.5 million displaced persons have no choice but to settle inside squalid camps to wait and hope. (An estimated four-hundred thousand civilians have perished so far.)

The Documentary
While analyzing the historical events that have given rise to an Arab-dominated government's willingness to kill and displace its own indigenous African people, "Sand and Sorrow" also examines the international community's "legacy of failure" to respond to such profound crimes against humanity in the past. But while immersed in the despairing crisis of our time, Freedman manages to give voice to the ever-growing and inspiring movement of those who wish to make "Never Again" finally mean something.

John Prendergast, Samantha Power, and New York Times columnist Nick Kristof, lead the viewer through burgeoning refugee camps along the Chad-Sudan border, past mass graves inside Darfur itself, and into offices of the United States Senate to plead on behalf of the innocents of Darfur. This impassioned trio inspires a growing and vocal advocacy movement that extends from rural high schools to big time college campuses, all the way to the halls of power in the US and beyond. Freedman's camera is there to capture the heroic struggle between politics and humanity.

Addis Ababa, Khartoum, New York, London—Freedman's subjects are as varied as his stunning locations. Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, U.S. Senators Barak Obama and Sam Brownback, Sudan scholars Alex de Waal and Gerard Prunier, and rebel leader Minni Minawi, provide powerful and touching insight into the conflict. Exclusive, behind-the-scenes coverage of the historic, but failed Darfur peace signing in Abuja, Nigeria, and the inspiring rally on the Washington Mall, confront the viewer with the power of hope and the face of evil.

As Freedman ventures deep inside the vast and violent Internally Displaced Persons camps of Darfur, he comes face to face with the collective sorrow of a people devastated by others' political unwillingness and shameful indifference. These people have joined the growing spectral chorus of others who waited for help in genocides past—help that we know may never come.

Hey Everybody,
Hope this holiday season finds you all happy and in the Christmas
spirit.

Just a little note to share some news with you.
We are FINALLY having the official release party for Sunny One Day!
Now I know we had a couple listening parties and shows but no, this
is it.. so come out and hang with us, as we celebrate the release of
our cd and.... my birthday

Place: Cielo Club
Date: Next Wednesday, December 19th
Address: 18 Little West 12th Street
New York NY, 10014
Door: $10.00
Time: 8pm

With special guests TL Cross, Africa Miranda (winner of the Grammy/
Justin Timberlake contest), and Louie Vega & The Roots crew spinning
afterward.

Of course there will be lots of shenanigans going on that evening and
we hope to see you there.

On another note, if you get a chance, check us out in the January
edition of Ebony Magazine at the link below.

That's all for now, stay warm and see you soon..
Peace
Vivian

www.albrightmusic.com/press www.myspace.com/tlcross www.myspace.com/africamiranda

The first time I heard Albright’s Sunny One Day, I was literally blown away. The first track, “Dunno What” grabbed me and would not let go. The music of Vivian Sessoms and Chris Parks is splendid from top to bottom and if you’re a lover of great music, it is recommended that you get a copy of this CD as soon as you read this article. Representing Harlem, New York, Vivian has worked (live or in studio) with a plethora of talent that includes Michael Jackson, Diddy, Sinead O’Connor, and Stevie Wonder. Her skills have taken her all over the world and with the release of Sunny One Day, this is only the beginning of what’s to come from this intelligent young lady. SOBO recently had the chance to talk to Vivian where she discussed her musical family, her love of James Brown, and her partnership with Parks.

Vivian, when did you discover your gift of music?
Both of my parents are musicians and I have a lot of musicians in my family as well. I don’t know if I really discovered it but I know that I’ve always loved to sing and we always sung around the house. It was very normal for us every weekend to have people over playing music. My father was a percussionist and he was a very talented self-taught musician. My mother and my grandmother were both singers and I was always singing. In all honesty, that’s really how it was.

So I take it that your exposure to music was very vast, right?
I grew up around a lot of jazz musicians because both of my parents were in the music industry. I think I was always in love with Rufus, Donna Summer, and Natalie Cole. When I saw Natalie Cole, she was singing “Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds” and I felt like I wanted to do that. However, in my house we listened to everything! My mother listened to Elton John, Electric Light Orchestra, and Chicago and all of that influenced me.

Did you attend any special training to enhance your talents?
Yes I did. I took piano for many years and I had a classical voice teacher as well. When I went to college it wasn’t for music because at that point I didn’t think that I would be doing music.

According to your bio, your father played with James Brown, am I correct?
That’s correct. He did play with James Brown for a time.

Did you ever get to see the Godfather of Soul in action?
Let me tell you something… if you really wanna talk about who influenced me then you can say James Brown! People in my family can attest to this because I was absolutely, positively obsessed with James Brown. I’ve seen him maybe a hundred times. This was before, during, and after my father played with him because I was always mesmerized by James Brown. When I learned to read and I could see James Brown’s name on the Apollo marquee, my mother knew she better have some tickets! It was like that!

James Brown is a genius, Vivian. He’s the man.
I do believe that he is a genius. He is the founder and innovator of what a lot of artists do today.

Tell me about your experience working with Ryuichi Sakamoto.
That was a great learning experience for me. It wasn’t my first tour but it was a different kind of tour because I would be touring all over Asia and I never been there before. It required me to sing some songs in Japanese and theoretically I had to do things in music that I had never done. It was challenging for me and I was with other musicians on that tour that I really didn’t know. However, being around all those musicians taught me a lot about music and presentation. Since I didn’t go to school for music it was an exciting time for me.

Did you find it difficult learning how to sing in Japanese?
Not so much because I did it kind of phonetically. Sakamoto taught it to me and sounded it out for me and it wasn’t difficult at all. Since then I’ve sung in Russian, German, Italian, and Spanish to name a few.

So how did Albright come together?
Albright is my grandmother’s maiden name and I named the group as a tribute to her. She believed in me and always supported me and she’s my ace in the hole. Chris Parks and I came together through mutual friends. He was producing a record and I was one of the guest vocalists. Afterwards, we struck up a friendship and continued to work together the next couple of years and one day, I told him that I wanted to do an album because I liked the work that he did. At the time I was more on a rock thing and I had only heard him do R&B and jazz. We had a meeting, he played me a lot of stuff, and we started writing.

Sunny One Day is one of those records in which you can’t skip songs because everyone of them is so good.
That is so sweet. Thank you very much for that. Chris and I did what we felt and it’s nice to hear people say that they like it.

My favorite track is “Love Can Turn You Around” which I think is so beautiful. What inspired this song?
To be honest, I tell people that I wrote that song for Chris but that’s not actually true. There are some songs on here that I wrote many years ago and that was one of them. I have always loved that track and just never let it go. People write in all the time and say that’s their favorite song!

What can we expect from Albright in the future?
You can expect many things. I have a lot of surprises up my sleeve and that’s the brunt of what I’m gonna say right now! Always look to be surprised!

Vivian, thank you for speaking to us here at SOBO. We wish you and Chris much success with Sunny One Day and will look forward to what you have to offer in the future.
Thank you so much and I appreciate talking to you. Thank you for your compliments and much love to you and your wife and SOBO Magazine.

Hello my people!
...And Happy Holidays to you.

Viv & Chris here with Albright news..
Do you really need more news after the novel I sent you guys last month?
Probably not (lol), but since many of you have been writing to ask, I realize that I have been remiss in not letting you all know that our CD Release Party has been postponed, but only for a few weeks.
The new date is Wednesday, December 19th which incidentally is my birthday, so you know it's gon' be on and poppin'!
For those of you that don't know what that means... It'll be a blast!
The party will take place at Cielo Club on West 12th Street (meat packing district), and Louie Vega will be spinning after our show so, um yeah, it will be poppin'.

Anyhoo, that's all for now, oh.. and by the way, check out our latest review in Billboard.
http://www.albrightmusic.com/press.html
See you soon..
peace&love
mama said music can change the world.

Hello, Hello, Hello to one and all!

Hope this holiday season finds you well and ringing in the festivities nicely.
I know it's early but I always think of the holiday season as starting with Halloween and moving right on up through my mom & dads b'day's & Thanksgiving to Xmas, maybe 'cause I'm a Christmas baby ;-)..
By the way, thats my mami up above.. (so beautiful).

Before I go any further, I'd really like to share something with you guys..
This has been an incredible year for both Chris and myself with the release of the cd, among other things.
There have been many ups and honestly there have been a few downs too..
Times when we wondered if we were crazy to attempt releasing our own cd..
We've had to learn an incredible amount in a very short time, we've met some really wonderful and caring people along the way, made some blunders, learned how to step up our game and why we even needed to do that, and kept up a continuous hustle and flow the whole time.

All the while, we've been aided, abetted and supported by some of the most talented and creative people within our industry, some of whom have dedicated themselves specifically to the Soul Music genre and scene.
-We've had the chance to work with Chris Rizik of Soul Tracks who has been nothing short of spectacular and extremely supportive to us throughout the release of our cd..
-We met the lovely ladies of ONUTSS, Pam & Detrel, who hosted a listening party for us as well as the ever so talented JUA..
-We had the opportunity to be interviewed and reviewed by Chris Whaley of SOBO Magazine, who is also so supportive and just all around good people..
-We met Kevin Harewood, who, among other things, does a monthly newsletter called the ORANGE SOUL SHEET which is distributed amongst the 1000's of retailers across the US discussing all the new music being released each month, and what store owners should be on the lookout for..
-There's Teddy Crockett, manager of Alison Crockett, Black-I, Nick Rolphe and HEAvy, who has so generously shared his circle of friends and opened so many doors for us.
-In London, we met Tunji Adebowale who just worked miracles for us, also Greg aka Son Of Soul and, Dave W, all 3, just great guys, from STARPOINT RADIO who have been giving the cd a lot of love.
-There's Katrina Boswell and Kateria Niambi who have been working their publicity magic on our behalf.
-There's also Alex Vitoulis, Christina Tunzi & the rest of the crew over at Billboard Magazine, who had us as guests on their show.
-Derek, Michelle & all the guys at CDBaby who are always so wonderful and supportive no matter how many silly questions we ask.
-All our family over at the Village Underground, and our buddy Marshall, whom we love dearly,
and a whole host of other folks really just too numerous to mention.

I say all this to say that the music industry has changed in the past few years, and for the absolute better where independent music is concerned.
The people I mention above are just a few of the people who are helping to implement these changes and I, like hundreds of other indie artists, are indebted to these folks and others like them for supporting and believing in this music, and the artists that create it.
I know a lot of you may not have heard of all these people but we want to say Thank You to all those who have shown us so much love and support over the past year and have had a hand in helping us to get our music heard.
We are, and will always be forever grateful..


Now for the latest..
Lots & lots of news starting with this..

-I just wrapped up an amazing 3 week tour in Denmark with the Mads Baerentzen trio where we performed songs from the cd, The New York Project, which we recorded together in 2005 (I'm on 4 tracks) and was released last year.
If you don't have it be sure to pick it up on CDBaby, as it really is a beautiful cd.
Every show was sold out and the tour extremely well, so well in fact, that I've been invited back to do some festivals next summer and Mads' record company has asked that we do an entire cd together. We will probably begin recording that next year as well.

After Denmark, Chris & I met up in ye' olde London Towne, where we've been promoting the cd, networking and catching up with friends, and you know, just making merry (Halloween, b;day parties, etc)

-Chris and I did a taping of our first single, Dunno' What, along with an interview for Billboard Underground (Billboard Magazine) last month, and it just went up on their site a couple of days ago, so do go and check it out:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1126070790/bctid1258399777
-We've been nominated for a Soul Tracks Award,
we're also #2 in the Soul Tracks Top 10 CD's of the month and
we're number 5 in the Soul Tracks popularity index.
http://soultracks.com
-We have a few new reviews from
Echoes Magazine (UK),
Black Men Magazine,
Dusty Groove America,
& Soul Brother Records which you can check out here:
http://albrightmusic.com/press.html
We are getting played by the following radio & internet stations:
Kazi Fm 88.7 (Austin)
Starpoint Radio
Camden Community Radio
Afternoon Groove Radio
The Unsigned Artist Show
Project Vibe Radio
Sound Rotation at Swanksociety.com

We've been interviewed by Sobo Magazine (Chris Whaley) which I think will be available next month.
We did a few radio interviews with Jez Bishop of Starpoint Radio
& Wayne Boucaud of Camden Community Radio (this might be up in a few weeks).
We also have another interview with New York Nights Online (DJ Gamal...)
Check all the interviews out below:

http://newyorknightsonline.com/ViewUptownArticle.aspx?aid=106 http://www.starpointradio.com/ http://www.ccradio.org/programmes/music.htm
You can find Sunny One Day in the following stores and internet outlets:
CDBaby
Amazon
itunes
Soul Tracks
Dr Wax - (Chicago)
Dusty Groove - (Chicago)
Soul Brother - (UK)
Justin's Music - (Detroit)
Moodie's Music - (White Plains, NY)
Birdels - (Bkln, NY)
Record City - (Pasaic, NJ)
Nikki's Music - (Cleveland, OH)
BK Music - (Richmond, VA)
Kemp Mill Music - (DC)

Within 2 to 3 weeks it will also be available in these stores as well:

M&M Records (Tyler TX)
Music Mania (Austin TX)
Music Depot #1 (Houston)
Serious Sounds (Houston)
Orange Music (Orange NJ)
Sound of Trenton (Trenton NJ)
Armands (Philly)
Music Box Record Shop (Philly)
Sound of Market (Philly)
Sound of Norristown (Norristown PA)
Pearl’s Music (Detroit)
Shantinique’s Music (Detroit)
Aces Jams (Detroit)
Ear Wax Records (Atlanta)
Music Trader (San Diego)


As you can see we've been busy the past few months, but we have lots more to come, and will definitely keep you posted so..
Stay tuned..

Thanks for reading..
peace&love
viv&chris
aka albright

..mama said music can change the world..
happy b'day mami.

Hey Everybody!!

It s been a long time, I know, and we have so much to tell you, I almost don't know where to start.

Ok, first things first, THE CD IS HERE!!
If you came out to our listening party in June you might have picked one up, as we had a few advance copies for sale then, but the official release is October 9th (release party in Nov). That's when the cd will be for sale in several
stores across the country and available on many more digital download sites (itunes, amazon, napster, etc.), so if you haven't bought one yet be sure to stop by our page on CDbaby and pick one up. Just click (or cut & paste) the link below:

http://www.cdbaby.com/albrightvivian
Ok, next order of business, if you haven't been by lately, be sure and check out our updated website and myspace page:

http://www.albrightmusic.com http://www.myspace.com/albrightmusic
Lots of new stuff, videos, links, music.. go ahead and take a look. We've gotten some great reviews from Urban Network.com, Rolling Out.com, and Soul Tracks.com, to name a few. We also have an interview posted from Just Soul.net with Dwight Barrett.
Click the links below to see the reviews or interview:

http://www.albrightmusic.com/press.html http://www.albrightmusic.com/news.html
Speaking of Soul Tracks, our CD is Soul Tracks CD of the month for October so you can buy our cd there too, AND we've been nominated for a Soul Track Award by the readers of Soul Tracks for best new group or duo.
If you wanna vote for us just click the link below:

http://wwwsoultracks.com/2007_Readers_Choice_Finalists
I know...it's a lot of info, right??
But wait, theres more...lol...

Ok, so there's gonna be a listening party..
I know, I know.. we already had a listening party but this this one will be hosted by the lovely ladies, Pam and Detrel of Onutss (One Nation Under The Soul Shack).
We're gonna do a very short acoustic set so if you're free we hope to see you there:

When: Monday, October 8th, 2007
Place: The Shrine World Music Venue
Time: 5:30 to 8:30 pm
Price: FREE
Where: 2271 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd., NY NY 10031
(Bet'n 133rd & 134th St & 7th Ave)

I've been touring a lot this year, in fact I just finished up a tour with P!nk, (check out the blogs to hear all about it) so we haven't had the chance to do many shows. Just think of this party as a little something to tide you over until the cd release in November which I promise will be a BLOWOUT (more about that soon!).

Well, I think thats just about everything..
We just finished a few tapings for a TV show and magazine, have a few more reviews and interviews coming up too, but I'll keep you guys posted on all that.

In the meantime, drop us a line, let us know what you think about the cd, and thanks for reading.
Thank you for supporting independent music.

Peace&love
Viv&Chris
aka Albright



mama said music can change the world..
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