Patrice (album)

Untitled

Patrice is the fourth, self-titled album by R&B singer Patrice Rushen. This was also Patrice's first album with Elektra Records after making three jazz-oriented albums with Prestige Records. With this album Rushen changes genre from jazz to a more R&B/pop music style. The album was heavily criticized by jazz's hardcore audience. Rushen found herself accused of being a sellout. While others vilified her in the jazz media due to her transition as Jazz lovers believed that the reason for her transition was due for commercial reasons.

In this album Patrice demonstrated that she could be an expressive, charming singer, and her writing or co-writing is solid on cuts that range from the funky "Hang It Up" and the lovely ballad "Didn't You Know?" to the socio-political "Changes (In Your Life)." With Patrice, the Los Angeles native made it clear that she has the talent that is appealing as an R&B/pop singer as she had been as a jazz pianist/keyboardist. Her next album to be released would be Pizzazz.

The album got re-released on CD in 2003 by Wounded Bird Records.

Track listing

1. "Music of the Earth" (Patrice Rushen, Angela Rushen)
2. "When I Found You" (P. Rushen, Tony Coleman, A. Rushen)
3. "Changes (In Your Life)" (P. Rushen, A. Rushen)
4. "Wishful Thinking" (P. Rushen)
5. "Let's Sing a Song of Love" (Reggie Andrews)
6. "Hang It Up" (P. Rushen)
7. "Cha-Cha" (P. Rushen, Sheree North, A. Rushen)
8. "It's Just a Natural Thing" (P. Rushen, Freddie Washington)
9. "Didn't You Know?" (P. Rushen, Sheree Brown)
10. "Play!" (P. Rushen, Charles Mims Jr.)

Personnel

• Patrice Rushen - keyboards, percussion, vocals
• Larry Williams - tenor saxophone
• Bill Reichenbach Jr. - trombone
• Bill Summers - percussion
• George Bohannon - trombone
• Oscar Brashear - trumpet
• Ray Brown - trumpet
• Jeff Clayton - oboe
• Paulinho Da Costa - percussion
• James Gadson - drums
• Roy Galloway, Jim Gilstrap, Oren Waters, Pauline Wilson, Syreeta Wright - background vocals
• Bill Green - clarinet
• Marlo Henderson - guitar
• Kim Hutchcroft - alto saxophone
• Valarie King - flute
• Abraham Laboriel, Sr. - bass
• Clay Lawrey - horn
• Al McKay - guitar
• Maurice Spears - bass trombone
• Ken Yerke - whistle
• Charles Mims, Jr. - piano
• David Riddles - bassoon
• Freddie "Ready Freddie" Washington - bass

External links

• Patrice Patrice at AllMusic