Vivian Sessoms - Life (ROPEADOPE RECORDS November 2, 2018)

Vivian Sessoms was born in Harlem, and was raised between Philly and Harlem as a child with some stops in Newark & Camden NJ. As she likes to say – ‘she lived in all the ‘hoods. Her parents were free thinkers, creatives who were immersed in music and cultural expression. Early on she just knew that one day she would be a singer, and that knowledge became a compelling need that drove her forward. With her parents singing and playing music around her, harmonizing and sharing the essence, the structure of music, there was never another option. The church figured in as well, as her grandmother made sure she was in church most Sundays, and the spirit of gospel music was forever entangled with her destiny. 

Many of us are separated from the realization of our destiny, but this is not so with Vivian. As a young girl she expressed the sense of her presence in history through music, and as she began to seek career opportunities she landed a gig with the great Ryuichi Sakamoto. One can not overstate the challenge of performing as a young vocalist with a music master like Sakamoto; singing in Japanese, Vivian was able to match her Black American roots with the expansive knowledge of an acclaimed ethno-musiciologist. Sakamoto brings a unique perspective: rather than expanding out from the root, he begins from a classical background and adds elements of multicultural styles to his final compositions. It is exactly this approach that brings Vivian’s album – LIFE – into sharp focus. The roots of her musical upbringing (soul, jazz, gospel) are there in powerful form, and yet a diverse and universal aspect is presented in every arrangement and composition. 

And so, prepare yourself for the world of Vivian Sessoms - the versatile singer - songwriter - arranger - producer of LIFE. The album is a trans-generational document that manages to speak directly to this time on earth. All of the ingredients of a worldly mix of styles are present, with the groove and feeling of the church, the popular music of her time, and players that make it fresh. Led by Vivian and co-producer, Chris Parks, LIFE features a diverse cast of musicians, beginning with her persistent collaborations with Saxophonist Casey Benjamin and Pianist Shedrick Mitchell and followed by appearances from Brandee Younger, Keyon Harrold, Donny McCaslin, and Gregoire Maret, among others. 

While there is no shortage of acclaimed musicians included in this project, it is clear LIFE is a labor of love, and not just titles. Ever present in the creation of this record is Chris Parks, Vivian’s long time creative partner. Every recorded album is a document - a testament to life at a certain time, or perhaps in a series of times. It would be easy to state that Vivian Sessoms’ voice is transcendent, but LIFE, the album, takes that voice and takes it higher; the songs on LIFE are for all of us, built of collaboration, of love, and of purpose. 

01. 7th Heaven - Intro ft Freedom Bremner (1:03)

Adi Yeshaya & Vivian Sessoms

Arranged by C. Parks

Adi Yeshaya - string arranger

Charissa “The Violin Diva” Rouse - strings

Freedom Bremner - vox

02. No Greater Love - ft Casey Benjamin & Paradigm (4:27)

Isham Jones & Marty Symes

Arranged by V. Sessoms, C. Parks, D. Archer

Dave Archer - keys

Chris Parks - guitar, bass, keys & drum programming

Eric Brown - drums

Adam Jackson - drums

Casey Benjamin - vocoder

Sherrod Barnes - guitar

03. Under My Skin (feat. Paradigm) (6:32)

Cole Porter 

Arranged by D. Archer, V. Sessoms, C. Parks

T. Lewis Dave Archer - keys

Chris Parks - bass, keys & drum programming

Eric Browns - drums

Meku Yisrael - conga

Adi Yeshaya - string arranger & strings

04. Superwoman (feat. Shedrick Mitchell) (5:12)

Steveland Morris

Arranged by S. Mitchell

Shedrick Mitchell - piano

Chris Parks - bass & keys

Donald Edwards - drums

05. Gabriels Lament (feat. Keyon Harrold) (1:03)

Chris Parks & Keyon Harrold

Arranged by C. Parks

Keyon Harrold - trumpet

Chris Parks - keys

06. Dreaming Of A Boy (feat. Keyon Harrold) (6:38)

Vivian Sessoms & Chris Parks

Arranged by V. Sessoms, C. Parks

Shedrick Mitchell - rhodes

Chris Parks - bass, drum programming

Donald Edwards - drums 

Brandee Younger - harp

Keyon Harrold - trumpet

07. See Lude (1:16)

Chris Parks

Arranged by C. Parks

Meku Yisrael - conga

Chris Parks - keys

08. See Line Woman (feat. Vincent Gardner, Kenyatta Beasley & Donny McCaslin) (5:59)

Unknown

Arranged by M. Baerentzen, V. Sessoms, C. Parks

Mads Baerentzen - piano

Chris Parks - guitar

Carlos Henderson - bass

Eric Brown - drums

Conga - Meku Yisrael

Kenyatta Beasley - trumpet

Vincent Gardner - trombone

Cliff Lyons - saxophone

Donny McCaslin - saxophone solo

09. New Earth (:53)

Chris Parks

Arranged by C. Parks

Chris Parks - guitar, keys & bass

10. People - ft Shedrick Mitchell (4:47)

Linda Creed, Thom Bell

Arranged by R. Angry & S. Mitchell

Shedrick Mitchell - rhodes

Dave Archer - keys

Chris Parks - bass, keys & drum programming

Martin Valihora - drums

Sherrod Barnes - guitar

11. O.O.B.E. (0:41)

Chris Parks

Arranged by C. Parks

Chris Parks - keys & programming

12. Lush Life (For Jenny) (3:20)

Billy Strayhorn

Arranged by S. Mitchell, V. Sessoms

Shedrick Mitchell - rhodes

Chris Parks - bass

Adam Jackson - drums

Gerry Gibbs - additional drums

13. High Life (feat. Charissa “The Violin Diva” Rouse) (1:09)

Chris Parks & Adam Jackson

Arranged by C. Parks

Adam Jackson - drums

Chris Parks - keys & string string arranger

Charissa “The Violin Diva” Rouse - strings

14. Strange Fruit (feat. Shedrick Mitchell) (5:19)

Abel Meerpool

Arranged by V. Sessoms

Shedrick Mitchell - piano

Chris Parks - bass

Donald Edwards - drums

Brandee Younger - harp

Charissa “The Violin Diva” Rouse - strings & string arranger

15. Portal (0:57)

Chris Parks

Arranged by C. Parks

Chris Parks - keys

Christian Sands - Facing Dragons (MACK AVENUE RECORDS September 21, 2018)

Christian Sands Returns with

New Studio Album Facing Dragons,

Available September 21 on Mack Avenue Records

Album Features Marcus Strickland,

Keyon Harrold, Yasushi Nakamura, Jerome Jennings,

Caio Afiune, Cristian Rivera, & Roberto Quintero

Not yet 30, Christian Sands is currently one of the most in-demand pianists working in jazz. In the last few years he has toured around the world as a bandleader and recently appeared as a sideman on records by Christian McBride and Gregory Porter. After the one-two punch of Reach and Reach Further – EP, Sands’ dynamic 2017 Mack Avenue debut and his live/unreleased studio tracks EP follow-up released earlier this year, Facing Dragons is Sands’ return to the recording studio with an indestructible band and an unwavering allegiance to the groove.

“I like the freedom of the trio format,” says Sands. “It’s more dramatic to me. It’s a smaller entity but with a big personality. I can fit it into different situations dynamically, compositionally.” Opening track “Rebel Music” features Sands’ wide-ranging scope at its most elegant, nimbly jetting through single unison lines and bright block chords. Here and throughout the record he is joined by bassist Yasushi Nakamura and drummer Jerome Jennings, the band that Sands has been relentlessly touring with. The two sensitive accompanists are locked in sync, joined occasionally by a powerhouse pair of horns, a sinewy guitarist and a fiery pair of percussionists.

Saxophonist Marcus Strickland strikes first on the hard swinging “Fight for Freedom,” unleashing a throaty cry over the churning band. “Marcus Strickland brings a certain fire to the band,” says Sands. “Especially on this track. He’s got a rich and deep tone, so it was perfect for the earthy theme of the song.” Trumpeter Keyon Harrold shares the frontline with Strickland, playing in effortless harmony on the melody before getting a little solo space near the tune’s close.

Harrold takes centerstage later on “Frankenstein,” a churning meditation reminiscent of Herbie Hancock’s seafaring journeys of the 1960s. Sands is spacious in support and patient on his solo, the tune an energetic workout for all involved.

Earlier this year Sands was named creative ambassador to The Erroll Garner Jazz Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to the legacy of the late great pianist Erroll Garner. After inheriting the position from the late Geri Allen – one of Sands’ mentors – he is a natural fit for the role. Sands has that same affable understanding of the audience as he recognizes their innate desire to be entertained as well as enlightened. He tackles the Beatles’ “Yesterday” with a soulful saunter. “Pop music is essential in jazz. It’s new melodies, it’s new stories, or same stories told in different ways. Jazz is about storytelling and pop music has a unique story to tell.”

Sands has yet to bring his band to Venezuela but when he gets there, he’ll be more than ready for the infectious polyrhythms found on the shores of Choroni Beach. On “Sangueo Soul,” Sands bounces above the churning South American rhythms, with Caio Afiune doubling the piano lines on guitar. It alternates between the two sounds, blending them at will, a sprightly dash of octaves on the piano cross paths with intergalactic vibrations. The tune is impossible to resist as a battery of rhythm pushes Sands’ piano into a righteous jaunt; clear the dancefloor. Percussionist Cristian Rivera appeared on Sands’ Mack Avenue Records debut, and the two formed a tight bond over a decade ago in Bobby Sanabria’s Afro Cuban Big Band. Percussionist Roberto Quintero, a native Venezuelan, brings the fire and authenticity to the party.

“Samba da Vela” appears later, continuing the South American travelogue with a trip to Brazil. Guitarist Caio Afiune first played with Sands’ brother Ryan, a drummer who studied at the New England Conservatory. Afiune has been playing with the pianist for over a year now, finding his voice in the tight-knit ensemble. His solo is an energetic but controlled centerpiece of the performance but becomes even more effervescent when he heads to church. 

“Church music is key in not just my sound but most jazz musicians I look up to. It’s a culture that most of us have gone through so it’s embedded in what we do,” says Sands. “Jazz can be a religious experience and for me my playing is my gift to God.” Sands began formal lessons at the age of four but picked up his sense of swing and soul at church well before that. “Sunday Mornings” is Sands tribute to the beginning of the week. He employs soulful clusters of chords and a lackadaisical slide off the beat, aided and embedded by an oscillating organ. The transition to a backyard reggae groove is hip, propelled by Afiune’s scratchy accents.

The lilting “Her Song” features bassist Nakamura. “Yasushi has a great bass sound, great facility and is always easy to work with, which is why he’s still in so many other bands today besides mine,” says Sands. Regardless of Nakamura’s schedule, he is fully committed to Sands’ vision of a rhythm section, a noble accent to the sound, unobtrusive but always present. Jennings is equally sensitive. “What I love about Romey” says Sands, “is the soulful intellect he brings to the instrument. There are layers to what he does and that comes from study and practice and also just being him – a true soul brother.”

The album closes with “Rhodes to Meditation” featuring an electrified Sands drifting into the ether. “The Fender Rhodes adds a different tone to my imagination. It makes me hear and play different.” Sands evokes a spectral world without borders, drifting off like a satellite towards the next adventure. “Like all of my albums, I want people to feel connected through a story that I’m telling. On this record, I want to remind people to always push forward and move in positivity.”