She is a diva of funk, an extraordinary jazz pianist, she has been the dancefloor queen in the eighties with hits such as « Forget me nots », Never gonna give you up » or Feels so real » , she inspires hip hop dj's who have sampled huge parts of her music. Patrice Rushen, you have guessed her name is still very active on stage or backstage. She has accepted to give us some fresh news...
The scene is adorable, even a bit funny. On skype, a young french man has a chat with a legend of american soul funk. Between them, nice hours of jetlag that split the Paris hour from the Pacific time. In Los Angeles, the sun starts to show the top of his nose meanwhile in Paris it goes down with the beginning of the evening. With a funny face on the webcam Patrice Rushen asks « Hey is this gonna be on tv 'cause I don't look so good. I'm on pyjama! » On the contrary, I find her cute with her pyjama and nearly expect her to sing « You remind me » for me. As it does not happen the interview begins...
-Patrice it has been a while that we don't hear from you in France. What have you been up to?
PR: I do a lot of things. I continue to make many concerts with different jazz, pop or r'nb artists. Also, I have been musical director for many tv shows in United States. Among them, the Grammy Awards last year. I've been working for them three times those last four years. I teach for the Berklee College of music in Boston and as well for the University of South California on their new program on popular music. All the knowledge that I have acquired, being a rn'b vocalist, plus a jazz pianist, plus the writing and the orchestration of many kinds of music, I wanted to share that with young musicians. And at the moment I am on a summer tour. Last year I have worked a lot with guitar player Lee Ritenour and I'd like to make some dates with him. I am also touring on a new project called « Patrice Rushen and friends » with very good friends and musicians: « Ready » Freddie Washington on bass, Leon « Ndugu » Chancler or Will Kennedy on drums, Paul Jackson Jr on guitar, Gerald Allbright, Everett Harp or Kirk Whalum on saxophone. I know them very well and I wanted to put them together, according to their avaibilities because they are very busy people. I have also a duo project called « One plus one », with me playing several instruments and « Ndugu » Chancler. And I will be interested by a jazz trio with other women such as : Esperanza Spaulding on bass and Terri Lyne Carrington on drums. I have always things on because I love to play! Besides I am a wife and a mother. So I'm busy... all the time!
-People have focussed a lot on your voice during your big r'nb decade but forger sometimes that you are an amazing pianist. What is your link with piano?
PR: Piano is my first real instrument. It's very confortable and it's a good friend of mine. I have learned a lot from it because it's my first « entrée » in the composition and the execution of music. It's very special to me.
-Can I call you « Black Mozart »?
PR: Haha! Very funny! It's true that I have started to play at very young age and I have started by playing and enjoying classical music. By the way, I have forgotten to mention that I write symphonic music too.
-In 1974, you make your first record, very jazz like, called Prelusion, for Prestige records. You were very young, isn't it?
That's right. I was not even seventeen. I have been signed up by the record compagny because they have discover me while I was playing at the Monterey jazz festival. My combo has participated to it as it was the award of an high school contest which does not exist anymore. As they have noticed me, the people from Prestige wanted me. First, I have refused to sign. I have told them that I was too busy, that I wanted to join the College. But to go to the university I need money so I have finally agreed. Fantasy records has put me on Prestige, which was his jazz label. And I have made three records with them. Prelusion you've said it was very straight ahead jazz, featuring Joe Henderson, the second one « Before the dawn » was a bit more funky, contemporary jazz, and the third one called « Shout it out » was very very funky. I think it has been re-issued recently in the UK.
-Then, how have you made the transition between straight ahead jazz and heavy funk?
PR: You know, I grew up listening and enjoying many kinds of music. At home my folks were listening a lot of jazz and r'nb. My roots are very into those two styles and I never thought that it was not possible to put them together. I was thinking that it was a good combination. It seemed very natural to me. I have realized the kind of music that I had in the corner of my head and I loved. As simple as that.
-After this, you have left Prestige for Elektra. Tell us about it.
PR: Elektra was looking for artists because the label wanted to develop in his catalogue some jazz fusion but also an other style that they have called « urban » for a while. « Smooth jazz » came much later. The urban format involved a bit of jazz but also the possibility of a funky beat. I wanted to be commercialy and artistically acceptable when I have signed up with them.
-In 1978 you have produced with them: « Patrice », which was a big step for you. Groovy, r'nb like and moreover with the use of your voice...
PR: In « Shout it out » I sing on a track: «Let your heart be free ». And the people from Elektra told that it was a good direction to follow. They asked me to make songs like this one. A bit jazzy, a bit funky but moreover with vocals, in order to promote myself and get into a bigger market than the one of jazz. That's why there are a lot of vocals in the record, but still I was creating the music. I was playing the keyboards parts, the arrangements for the strings, horns, the rhythm section...
-At that time some jazz purists were disappointed about your new direction. How did you feel about it?
PR: I've always felt comfortable with my projects. And I don't worry too much about the critics because they are not always able to understand the artist's development and that evolution was part of my development. It doesn't me that I have abandonned jazz or my desire of playing jazz piano, not by any means, but I had a mission to do with my record company. It was my job and I'm glad it happened that way. It brought me to success in that direction and it was a good preview of my future work...
-It's true that this evolution opened up your audience.
PR: For sure. More people came over. Those who wanted to dance of my music and sometimes who have never heard « Shout it out », simply because they could not play it on the radio. This Elektra material has been made for a wide radio play. And at that time radio was essential to inform the club of what was going on. So the people were reacting to my music. Some loved the beats, some my musical harmonies, others enjoyed the songs, others again were fans of my voice. So many people came to this music on different sides of it.
-Then with « Pizzaz », « Posh », « Straight from the heart » you have made a succession of hit tunes. How have you lived that golden age of r'nb?
During that time they left the artists create and bring their own sounds. They left us try new things. And musically I could use all my background, from classical music from jazz, mixed together.
That was a period, just before disco. Earth wind and fire was one of my favourite group. So having big arrangements with strings, was apart of what we experienced. There were so many influences to support the music and lead it to the top. It was just great...
To be continued...
