PATRICE RUSHEN - SHOUT IT OUT

Patrice was born in Los Angeles in 1954, she began studying music when she was three, and was giving piano recitals by the age of six. When she was twelve she played flute in the student orchestra, and in the Msingi (Swahili for root) Workshop, a jazz lab band founded in her high school by Reggie Andrews. Andrews helped Patrice produce her first three albums for Prestige.

Patrice led her own combo and won a competition at the Monterey Jazz Festival, which resulted in her being signed to the Prestige record label. Her first two albums ‘Prolusion’ (1974) and ‘Before The Dawn’ (1975) were critically acclaimed .instrumental albums that showed both her improvisational piano playing and her introducing funky grooves.

In 1976 she recorded ‘Shout It Out’, released the following year, which is rated by many as her finest album. On this album Patrice introduces her vocals for the first time. ‘Let Your Heart Be Free’ crossed over to a Soul audience and was the pre-curser to the direction that her career would take for the next 10 years. On ‘Shout It Out’ she is joined by some great musicians including James Gadson, Al McKay and Bill Summers, but the real highlight is Patrice’s keyboard playing which is outstanding throughout. The album deserves its place amongst the best jazz funk albums of all time.

Around the time of the release of ‘Shout It Out’, Patrice appeared on many other artists’ albums, notably Eddie Henderson ‘Coming Through’ on which she played keyboards, bass and percussion. She also played with Harvey Mason, Hubert Laws, Stanley Turrentine, Lee Ritenour, Alfonso Johnson and Sonny Rollins amongst others. 

In 1978 she signed to Elektra and released popular  albums like ‘Patrice’, ‘Pizzazz’ and ‘Straight From The Heart’ and enjoyed great commercial success with hits including ‘Forget Me Not’s’, ‘Haven’t You Heard’ and Feels So Real’.

Many of Patrice’s songs have been used as samples most notably ‘Forget Me Not’s’ which Will Smith recorded for the movie ‘Men in Black’. Patrice has multi Grammy award nominations and has provided musical scores for many television series and films. She is one of the most respected composers, producers and recording artists. Patrice is still in touch with her roots and contributed to Babatunde Lea’s recently released ‘Tribute to Leon Thomas’ album.

Soul Brother Records is delighted to present , Patrice Rushen’s ‘Shout It Out’ in our classic and rare albums series, out on CD for the first time., It has been re-mastered from the original tapes, and still sounds incredibly fresh. For many years it has been one of the most requested albums on CD in our shop

Laurence Prangell
October 2009.