Patrice Rushen’s Blog

It’s been awhile..I’m way overdue to blog. The last few months I have enjoyed being surrounded by so much musical excellence!!! 

I continue to be the recipient of much knowledge and information during my residencies at Berklee, in Boston. It’s funny.. I’m the teacher, but I am always amazed at how much info I receive when I teach. Kinda cool. On my last vist in the Performance dept. I was able to touch upon some important concepts . A couple of my lectures will be posted on the site . My last visit, however , involved my participation in a performance of the Concert Music of Black Composers. This concert included music from the past (pre-dating Mozart) …like Chavalier de Saint-Georges , Black Art songs , Negro spirituals, and new music. One of my pieces was performed (I conducted), I played piano on one piece by composer Julius Williams and I accompanied my friend , singer Gabrielle Goodman on that Chavalier piece. The performers were faculty…amazing faculty , who although they may rarely get to demonstrate this side of their talents and craftsmanship…each one proved why they are who they are!!! Excellence! Gabrielle Goodman, Krystal Banfield, Kudison Kai,  Duane Moody, and octet of great gentlemen lead by Jeff Ramsey, Dr. Bill Banfield among them. You may even be able to find excerpts from the event on Berklee’s site. 

Last month I also played and music directed a concert w/ my friend, baritone Jubilant Sykes. If you’ve not heard of him , look him up on YouTube or Veoh. This is one of my favorite kinds of musical events. Immaculately performed concert/recital music to amazing popular songs, a mix of jazz, some r&b, etc. etc….really fun, well played, beautifully sung and the audience went “nuts”. They really loved it and for many it was the first time hearing Jubilant in this “mixed” context. Yeah!

A week later..I’m arranging music for USC School of Music event. I directed the all student “tribute orchestra”. The event itself involves the entire music dept, but the tribute orchestra plays for the honoree of the evening. A scholarship was awarded in the name of this year’s honoree Brian Wilson. So…I was to arrange a medley of Brian Wilson compositions. Wow. Beach Boys immersion. Very cool, however. Took me back…and in really, really having to listen to those songs, my appreciation for Mr. Wilson’s gifts are even greater. He’s a baad dude. That music had some stuff in it..bigtime. Kids played and sang well. The donors and invited guests gave us a standing ovation. I was so fried when it was over…a lot of music and preparation for each of the above experiences…and back to back. 

So…it’s home and time for holiday cheer!!! Going to relax with my family and some friends. 

Joyeux Nöel à tous!

Stay tuned!

First of all …many thanks for all the wonderful birthday greetings that I rec’d from so many of you! I appreciate that you remembered.I spent that day resting, reflecting and then had a great dinner w/ my family.  

Thinking seriously about posting some of  my lectures and speeches. The information contained in them might be helpful for somebody out there! They are based on some of  my experiences of course..and while I can’t claim to have all the answers about anything,  I have learned and continue to learn that sometimes one’s thoughts can inspire another’s thoughts. (and that has been my experience).

I was involved in a couple of interesting events just last weekend. One was playing for a private party in an super exclusive (and beautiful) area of Central Calif. I was part of an fun and great group of musicians assembled to play for this ultra exclusive anniversary party. The best part was , we were asked to play “dance music”. It was kind of fun to reach back and play like a cover band but with the likes of drummer Rickey Lawson, bassist Ready Freddie Washington, saxophonist Eric Marienthal and guitarist Wah Wah Watson. These are some playin’ , and groovin’ individuals so when we hit Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone, and some , Kool and the Gang, James Brown and the like…it was really on fire. These are some very versatile players too, so when the funk is informed by the kinds of musical variety that musicians like these have had…well, it can be SERIOUSLY groovin’ and tastefully so. (those folks danced themselves into a coma!)

It’s a rare treat for me  these days, but still so much fun to play Forget Me Nots with Freddie. He co-wrote it with me (1981) and to this day he OWNS that bassline. Many have tried …and some play it well , but NOT LIKE THAT!!! Anyway…it was a  fun gig and kind of different. Reminded me of “back in the day”…when I was in a cover band. It was called “RED BEANS & RICE”. (someday I’ll have to talk about that…w/singer Josie James (George Duke & Burt Bacharach) and bassist Charles Meeks (Chuck Mangione) ..oh we played some parties!!!

Next day, I rec’d an award from the L.A. Jazz Society . It was for “jazz educator of the year”. Nice event. The other honorees included my friend and one of my heros, James Moody. I was asked to play and speak. My frends drummer Ralph Penland and bassist Tony Dumas played w/ me….and they played great as always. I will post what I said on the site soon. It was nice to receive the acknowledgement but I enjoyed hearing  Bud Shank (who also rec’d an award ) and of course Moody. He’s playin’ so much great stuff and sounding as good as ever. That really made my night!

stay tuned..!

So…last week, I played a concert in Ft. Worth, Texas. It was the last concert of a great tour w/ Lee Ritenour, Will Kennedy and Melvin Davis. I flew the next day to Boston. After one evening to catch my breath it was “on” at Berklee College of Music for the first of 4 one wk long residencies there. Talk about “energy”….wow. It’s the 3rd wk of school and the excitement of “all the possibilities” for a new school year’s worth of knowledge and the absorption of information was in the air. My lectures and master classes were rec’d with much interest and respect. This visit I spent most of my time in the Performance Dept. Heard some wonderful young talents and met some gifted , and inspiring instructors. My role as a recurring visiting “professor” is also an opportunity for me to not just teach, but continue to learn. It’s a rich experience and exchange to be sure!

The trip was also an opportunity to play w/ my friend , drummer Terri Lyne Carrington , who lead a wonderful group in concert at the Beantown Jazz Festival, co-sponsored by Berklee. There were two keybordists as part of the ensemble. Myself and Geri Allen. Wow. First time we’d played together in a context like that. Very cool. 

The intensity of that rich feeling continued through this past weekend (Sunday) as I played a concert at Disney Hall in Downtown Los Angeles w/ my friend , bassist and musician extraordinaire, Christian McBride. The all improvisational ensemble: ” A Christian McBride Situation” was once again  poised “at the edge of the cliff” ! No pre-planned music, no discussion ….just playin’. Instrumentation is bass, saxophone, keys and turnatable. Yep…

I left there and played at the Watts Jazz Festival in South Central. This year a new bldg was named after Charles Mingus and the festival featured his music. I played in a sextet at the free concert in near the famed  Watts Towers led by Mingus’ friend ,music veteren composer and saxophonist Buddy Collette. A special afternoon , without a doubt. Mingus grew up right around the corner from where we were playing.

It’s good to be home now. Missed my family…always do when I’m away. Grateful for iChat and Skype!!!!

 I have carried the great feeling and inspiration into this week . Just returned from my french class. I love the language…especially the sound of it . Alors…salut à mes amis en France et aux francophiles qui sont fans de ma musique! Merci beaucoups. 

Thanks always to you for your eMail and comments. I do see them and I appreciate them very much. There is much more in store for this website. 

stay tuned. 

patrice

Well…today is the first day of fall. Lots of good things happening as September has arrived. It’s the start of the new school year. For me , that means a shift in some of my activities. Oh…don’t worry, I’ll still be playing some very cool gigs, but I’ll also be teaching some and lecturing. Several times during this school year I’ll be teaching at Berklee College of Music in Boston. I am excited about my role there.  I’ll also serve as Music Director of the biggest fund-raising event for the School of Music at Univ. of Southern Calif (USC).

I’m also working on new music of my own! Yes…I’m REALLY working on something! (finally!)

We’ll be updating my calendar of events activities and locations so keep checking out the site. 

There will soon be some new stuff.. excerpts from master classes, lectures, a newsletter and other stuff.

Take care…and stay tuned. By the way…if you’re not registered to vote in the next election, or know someone who is eligible and has yet to register…please do it!! And PLEASE vote.  

So, it seems my summer travels are winding down ! It’s been great. I’ve actually been in a lot of places since last March , thanks to my friend, guitarist LEE RITENOUR. We just wrapped a fun stint in Seattle , Washington. Let’s see… several cities in Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, England, Singapore, Manila, Jakarta, Cape Town, Hamburg, Cologne, Zurich, San Francisco, San Diego, Idyllwild (Calif) and Seattle. whew!!! I put in some serious air miles, huh? ..and that’s not counting my trip to Montreux and Paris!!!

It’s a real blessing to have the experiences of traveling, playing concerts and meeting so many people. I come in contact with the “best of the best” and on occassion, some of the worst aspects of our world and the conditions that people  must endure.  

These are interesting times…worldwide.

The next wave of activities for me involves some lecturing, teaching, continued learning and sharing as well as including some time to reflect. I’m also going to work on some new music . I’m making real headway on a special project that I will be able to talk about soon, I hope!!!

Thanks again for all who are sending comments, and joining through the guest book. I’m so excited about having this site! It’s going to really be popping soon with things that I hope will continue to interest you. Tell your friends!! …and stay tuned. 

I’m traveling again! Working this time. On a short UK and European run w/ Lee Ritenour. We’ve actually played 3 concerts so far and things have been going well. (Lee, Will Kennedy (drums), myself and Melvin Davis (bass).

So great to come in contact w/ my fans in other parts of the WOLRD. wow…thanks for your continuing support. I am always moved at the love and respect that I am shown. You guys have been listening to me offerings for a LONG time. I’ve been signing so many old album covers (vinyl) and CD covers. It’s great. ..and it’s time for something new. I know I’m long overdue!!!! But, the opportunities and projects that I’ve had a chance to experience in the meantime , I would not have traded. As they say, “it’s ALL GOOD”!!!

We will actually have a day off tomorrow. I’ve still got a little jet-lag, so I welcome the slight break in the action. The music gives me energy, however!

By the way..it’s been great hearing from some of you out there via “cyberspace”! Thanks for the encouraging words, comments and critiques. Glad you’re enjoying the website. 

More soon.

Talk about a busy schedule!!! After returning last week from a fantastic vacation w/ my family in Paris, I hit the ground running!

2 days later I was off to San Francisco to play a 5 day stint with my friend, guitarist, Lee Ritenour at YOSHI’s. It is the newest music venue in San Francisco. I have played the one in Oakland , California ofetn. It is always enjoyable and the new location is equally as fun.  Our run was completed this evening. The format was a contempory quartet of guitar, keys, bass (Brian Bromberg) and drums (Will Kennedy). We had a great time. 

I’ll go home , unpack , repack and be ready for the next scheduled adventure w/ Lee in Europe. (check out the dates …they are on the site!) We leave Tuesday evening so it’s a quick turn around. ( this is why it is so IMPORTANT to me to spend quality time with my family. ) There are occassions like this , where the work comes back to back . I’m not complaining…not at all, but  for me, the “balance” is key. 

I’ll be traveling to some great places and will look forward to greeting more of my fans!!!

Stay tuned and thanks for visiting the site. 

There’s nothing like time off in a place that you really want to be. Although I’ve experienced parts of Paris several times, this is the first time in a LONG time that I’ve come with no gig other than to enjoy it with my family. What a city! Je me rejouis d’avance l’aventure de chaque jour! 

I have been on a whrilwind schedule since last Friday (July 11th). Left LA , headed to Montreux Jazz Festival to particpate in QUINCY JONES’ 75th b’day concert celebration. So many of my friends took part! I’ve played the Montreux festival several times….each time it was a memorable event for me. My first time was in a special ensemble w/ Carlos Santana and Wayne Shorter. (1989) . I went there again , actually on a mini vacation and ended up singing in a concert w/ Quincy Jones! (1996). In 2002, I played in a very interesting , and musically rich and creative group with drummer Terri Lyne Carrington. 2006 I appeared in Montreux with my friend , guitarist Lee Ritenour . Festival creator and producer Claude Nobs asked me to come this year for the special Quincy Jones event!!! An amazing Montreux experience once again! Photos to follow soon!!

Patrice Rushen is a classically trained pianist. She has spent a lifetime honing the skills that make her one of the music industry’s most versatile and sought after artists..