TERISA GRIFFIN
Biography
When you think of the true essence of timeless Soul, Jazz and other forms of adult music, music icons come to mind such as the beautiful velvet voices of Sam Cooke, Donny Hathaway, Aretha Franklin, Anita Baker, Sarah Vaughn, and Luther Vandross. Rarely does one talent capture the epitome of various influences in their style and grace.
Terisa Griffin has re-designed an authentic blueprint of musical blends of modern Soul, Jazz, House and Inspirational music into her repertoire. A native of Monroe, Louisiana she has called Chicago, Illinois her adopted home for the past 23 years. Establishing a loyal fan base, the Louisiana born singer hails from a family entrenched deeply in music, with lasting roots within the church.
Griffin relocated to Chicago. "I started checking out the night club scene in Chicago and hounding the club owners to allow me to sing on one of their off nights. They took a chance on me where I sang with some of the known bands in the city, so their audience would get to know me and become a Terisa Griffin fan.
I sang background vocals for music legend, Jerry Butler and in time, his large audience became my fans as well. This became my way of working in the music business." As Terisa's popularity grew on the musician and nightlife scene, so did her ability to land work for various advertising agencies recording jingles for popular commercials. Her strong and distinctive voice was quickly in demand as she gathered consistent commercial work. Along with paid gigs, this helped her financially fund and build her own independent music company, My Naked Soul Productions.
In 1998 she released her first EP, Songbird as an introduction of original and cover works showcasing her amazing vocal skills. Having captured the attention of media and entertainment icons such as Oprah Winfrey, Diana Ross and the late comedian/actor, Bernie Mac; Songbird became a hit indie seller with local independent music retailers. Her first full length release didn't arrive until seven years later, My Naked Soul, showcasing the singer's talents as both a songwriter and producer. “I remember when people first heard My Naked Soul and they would stand back with reservations and say 'Oh, I wonder if this will work'. I didn't care because it was my music in a very "naked" form and extremely pure. It was a reminder of what just pure soul was about."
Many House music lovers were introduced to Terisa's style through two great club remixes from My Naked Soul, "Sunshine" and "Wonderful" both songs remixed by internationally acclaimed DJs and producers, Terry Hunter (T’s Box) and Kenny Dope (Masters At Work). Traveling abroad, the success of My Naked Soul opened up tremendous opportunities for the singer, while acquiring an international fan base.
In the summer of 2011, Terisa released her sophomore double-disc, Soulzophrenic ‘Personalities of Soul'; R&B and Dance releases. Griffin explains, “Soulzophrenic ‘Personalities of Soul’ is about the personalities of life, love, and even my playful side. Again it was created through some wonderful collaborative moments with some great producers.
Building from past work and current projects, such as appearing in the independent short film The Truth, she has added 'acting' to her amazing list of gifts. Directed by Hill Harper, the film showcases a stellar cast of talent which includes a small but significant role for her. "It gave me a different challenge that I hope to experience more in life. Acting is soulful and exposing but food for your soul." said Griffin.
After Emerging from the 3rd Season of hit TV Show "The Voice", Griffin was ready to let the world know another side of music. December 12th, 2015 Terisa Griffin hit Billboard Charts with her current CD “Revival of Soul”. Writing and producing this cd was finally the current after the storm that Griffin needed. Whether she is singing the dramatic “Save Me” or the whimsical “Swimming Higher” or “Cotton Candy Kisses”, you will hear a voice that will touch every part of your heart and soul.
You will definitely understand the Revival of Soul when you hear the cover of the classic Aretha Franklin song “Oh Me Oh My”. But that is only the beginning as Terisa also covers a Marvin Gaye song that few have tried to sing. “Distant Lover” will revive music that we consider truly soulful as you hear the anguish and the ache in Terisa’s voice as she tells a story that will take you back to the days when soul music was actually soulful.
From producing her one-woman shows, managing a music program for Chicago high school students, traveling around the world performing, acting, songwriting and producing projects between her incredibly busy schedule...what else is in store for this dynamic, soulful diva? "I am always conscious about how I can help others and give back to my community. One of my true passions is my charitable 501c3 organization, Better Love Yourself NFP. We help students build self-esteem, share pearls of knowledge, and provide a footlocker of necessities for first-time college freshmen. This helps parents to ease the cost of purchasing items for school."
There are so many wonderful multi-faceted personalities of Terisa Griffin that allows you into her 'unadulterated' rawness, honesty and whimsical world.Terisa is focusing on a CD of her favorite covers and acoustic songs from her celebrated catalog. We are all waiting in anxious anticipation for her next release.What keeps her motivated to motivate others? She simply states, "Know that “no” in this business is like the earth...it must move and when it does, it will create a place for your star to shine."
- Jan, 03 Soul Express Album of the Year! CD of the Month Revival of Soul
- Jan, 01 CD of The Month 2016 SoulTrack
- Jan, 01 30 Best CD's of the Year 2015 Soul Tracks http://www.soultracks.com/top_10.htm
- Jan, 01 UK Echo Magazine CD of the Year
- Dec, 02 Soul Tracks Review by Chris Rizik: http://www.soultracks.com/review-terisa-griffin-revival-of-soul
- Nov, 02 Ndigo (Hermene Hartman) Interview with Terisa Griffin https://madmimi.com/p/28ddd6?fe=1&pact=34285199143
Soul Express Album of the Year! CD of the Month Revival of Soul
Soul Express CD of the Month "Revival of Soul" is also the CD of the Year
http://www.soulexpress.net/terisagriffin_revivalofsoul.htm
US My Naked Soul Productions CD, 2015
Buy this album from our CD Shop
1) Save Me (A Woman's Testimony) [Explicit] 6:19 2) Intro Revival Interlude 1:47 3) Tonight Is the Night 5:07 4) Cotton Candy Kisses (Oral Pleasure) 4:55 5) Oh Me Oh My (I'm a Fool for You) 4:52 6) Revival Interlude (Love Look) 1:10 7) Naked 4:48 8) Distant Lover 5:28 9) Purple Like the Moon 5:34 10) Revival Interlude (Ain't Love Grand) 1:28 11) Swimming Higher 4:50 12) Talking About Love 5:12 13) Ain't No Need (Musician Song) 5:33 14) Revival of Soul (Reflection) 1:26 15) Revival of My Soul 5:03
Personally, I have no troubles at all naming the soul album of the year in 2015. Terisa Griffin, whose first full-length album from 2006, My Naked Soul, was my album of the year in 2006, is back. Her brand new release has aptly been titled Revival of Soul, and it's even better than her previous, strong albums. Excellent songs, mostly new material, superb soulful vocals and solid real instrumentation. This is not retro-soul, this is just 100 % genuine modern soul, indeed "a revival of soul". Welcome back, Terisa!
The album opens with a highly impressive song Save Me (A Woman's Testimony), a strong candidate for the track of the year. It is a dramatic new composition self-penned by Terisa, with meaningful lyrics and most of all, an instantly compelling musical backdrop and dynamic, emotional vocals. What a great opening for a great album.
Cotton Candy Kisses is laced with Spanish guitar by Agustin Alvarez and percussion by Lenny Castro, a delicious airy setting and tasteful vocals by Terisa. In my 2016 interview with Terisa, she mentioned that if she would record an album of cover songs, Aretha Franklin's Oh Me Oh My would be on top of her list, and now we have a chance to hear Terisa interpreting this tune. Not an easy song to cover, but a truly impressive reading.
In a similar way, Distant Lover is another cover song, this time from Marvin Gaye's repertoire, and Terisa offers a gorgeous, sax-drenched (Marqueal Jordan on tenor saxophone) version of the classic tune.
Back to the original tunes, as all the other songs but these two aforementioned cover tunes are original new songs written and published by Terisa herself. Naked is also new material, and not from her My Naked Soul set despite the title. It is built over a sophisticated real instrumentation by drums, piano, bass and guitar, over which Terisa deliver an Anita Baker-ish wailing vocal performance.
Purple Like the Moon is another personal favorite on the album, a pulsating mid-tempo tune with meaty bass playing by Joewaun "Jay Red" Scott, Lenny Castro's perussions and crowned by Orbert Davis' trumpet solo.
Finally, my own number song on this wonderful album: Talking about Love has a bit Teena Marie-ish feel, an extremely powerful vocal delivery over a swaying, Spanish guitar (Agustin Alvarez again) -laced backing which gradually gathers the intensity towards the end. The album closes with a lyrically touching story of domestic violence, a song titled Revival of My Soul. Strong message, strong lyrics, strong vocals!
Actually there are no weak moments on the whole album, just good or excellent tracks. Maybe someone else would have missed funky or uptempo soul tunes, as Terisa also excelled at upbeat songs on her previous set Soulzophrenic, but personally I'm perfectly happy with this combination of ballads and tasty midtempo tunes. No compromises to dance floors, this time.
Downloads of this album are available on CD Baby, Amazon and iTunes, and also real "hard copy" CD version are currently available at London's Soul Brother and Simply Soul soul shops. Like Howard Tate once put it, get it while you can!
CD of The Month 2016 SoulTrack
http://www.soultracks.com/listening-room-terisa-griffin-revival-of-soul
And the fact that she wrote and produced this album is just as impressive. Songs like "Tonight Is The Night," "Naked" and amazing remakes of the classics "Distant Lover" and "Oh Me Oh My" are sure to win you over and make this one of your new favorite discs.
We're proud to present Revival of Soul as our January CD of the Month. Take a listen below and then head over to Amazon to get your own copy of an instant classic.
- See more at: http://www.soultracks.com/listening-room-terisa-griffin-revival-of-soul#sthash.xLUozzOn.dpuf
30 Best CD's of the Year 2015 Soul Tracks http://www.soultracks.com/top_10.htm
Every month we post our Top 10 major label and independent soul music CDs based on sales at Amazon.com. If you want your CD purchase to count, click on the CD covers below when you plan buy a CD. That will allow us to keep track of purchases at these merchants for purposes of the charts. At the end of the month we'll compile the sales to create our new Top 10. If you prefer to go to a physical store to buy your music, check out our CD Store Directory for a soul music store near you. Click on the CD cover below to listen to the CD or click on the album title to read our review. - See more at: http://www.soultracks.com/top_10.htm#sthash.RShQJDis.dpuf
UK Echo Magazine CD of the Year
CTis Article is available only in Print
Soul Tracks Review by Chris Rizik: http://www.soultracks.com/review-terisa-griffin-revival-of-soul
(Click Link to Read Review from Soul Tracks
http://www.soultracks.com/review-terisa-griffin-revival-of-soul
While Terisa Griffin's consistent artistic growth over the past several years was noticeable, few could have anticipated the large creative leap forward that is represented by her latest album, Revival Of Soul. With it, Griffin moves into territory occupied by few of her peers, with a vocal performance that, by its virtuosity, places her among the kind of classic soul greats whose names are often spoken in hushed tones. She is that good. - See more at: http://www.soultracks.com/review-terisa-griffin-revival-of-soul#sthash.xDam22Xm.dpuf
Ndigo (Hermene Hartman) Interview with Terisa Griffin https://madmimi.com/p/28ddd6?fe=1&pact=34285199143
Web Version: (Click Link) https://madmimi.com/p/28ddd6?fe=1&pact=34285199143
NDigo
Terisa Griffin
MS TERISA GRIFFIN hails from New Orleans and comes from a singing family. She is a preacher's kid and it was customary for she and her sisters to attend Sunday services and sing. She came to Chicago and lived meagerly until her mentor Jerry Butler heard her. She became a background singer in the Butler review. Her career started. She has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show where she was singing background for Dianna Ross. When Ross heard her, she asked her to sing solo and sat down to listen. Griffin brought the house down. She has appeared on The Voice. She has self recorded and appears locally and tours the nation in a one woman show. Her latest project is a new CD which drops this month. She introduces her new music, Revival of Soul, in a concert at DuSable Museum. Wednesday, November 5.
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NDIGO:
This new album is very special to you, why? Why a new CD at this time?
GRIFFIN: It is time to have adult music, love making honest music with musicians and a voice that talks about adult issues as well as love. This cd is special for me because as a woman I need to know and celebrate my growth as a woman. Often women listen to my lyrics and ask me about my growth as a woman in my life and love. This cd answers those questions and brings forth a Revival between women. It also helps men get an inside look on how we think and feel without apology!
NDIGO: What's your favorite song?
GRIFFIN: On this cd "Revival of Soul", my favorite song is "Save Me". My favorite all time song to perform is "Meet Me on the Moon", by Phyllis Hyman.
NDIGO: Who is your favorite artist?
GRIFFIN: My favorite Is Tina Turner! My favorite Scatting Jazz Artist Ella Fitzgerald and favorite song stylist is Sarah Vaughn!
My favorite singer male is still Luther Vandross.
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Miss Terisa
NDIGO: Who is your favorite artist?
GRIFFIN: My favorite Is Tina Turner! My favorite Scatting Jazz Artist Ella Fitzgerald and favorite song stylist is Sarah Vaughn!
My favorite singer male is still Luther Vandross.
NDIGO: How did you get started in the business of entertainment?
GRIFFIN: My big break was given to me by my mentor Jerry "Iceman" Butler!! I owe him so much!
NDIGO; What person do you most admire?
GRIFFIN; Aretha Franklin ( I love that she is unapologetically Soulful)
NDIGO: Who would you most like to meet to dine with?
GRIFFIN; **The Dahlie Lama
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click here for tickets
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MS. GRIFFIN
NDIGO; What is your greatest fear?
GRIFFIN; Loving too less! If I love to little then my character is flawed! Life is short you should love people as much as you possibly can and find it within one self to forgive, so that I may remain whole.
NDIGO: . Where would you most like to perform?
GRIFFIN; In Amsterdam to a sold out stadium!
NDIGO: What is your dream?
GRIFFIN: To help people especially women love themselves better!! Leave a legacy or self love and honesty instilled in this new generation!
NDIGO: What is your favorite book?
GRIFFIN: "The Hours"
NDIGO: What do you want people to know about you.
GRIFFIN: "I did it my way" without selling out. I remained true to myself!
NDIGO: What's the message / vision with the New CD!
GRIFFIN: It is a call for honesty in love and what we expect from those we love! I hope it creates a movement in women that revives their beliefs in themselves and start to create a different self portrait in love and life.
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Save Me "A Woman's Testimony"Terisa Griffinhttps://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ae-p/system/music/file/94814/1452804870.mp3https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ae-p/system/music/file/94814/1452804870.mp3Save Me "A Woman's Testimony"
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Tonight is the NightTerisa Griffinhttps://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ae-p/system/music/file/94815/1452804934.mp3https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ae-p/system/music/file/94815/1452804934.mp3Tonight is the Night
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Terisa Sings ROS Single Distant LoverRolling out Magazine Stops by Terisa Griffin's The "Revival of Soul" CD Release -
You Got MeTerisa Griffin give us a Soulful R&B song from her CD Soulzophrenic Personalities of Soul
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