Boogie Cuts for Your Snooty Friends

I remember the first time I ever heard “Forget Me Nots.” I was at my girlfriend’s house after dance rehearsal, and she flipped on some video show. I was all, “Ooh, that’s got a bounce! Who is that?” My friend took a break from checking herself out in the full-length mirror and was all, “Oh, that’s Patrice Rushen. She’s a jaaaaaahhhhhzzzz artist.” And then Miss Thing flipped her hair, for real.

Please. Who even talks like that? The only thing that girl knew about jazz was her damn jazz hands in those corny-ass routines she practiced up in her bedroom. Hm.

But all bougie pretenses aside… old girl was right. Patrice Rushen didn’t just sing bouncy joints to heat up the roller rink; her jazz roots run deep.

Miss Rushen was a child prodigy on the piano; her parents even sent a three-year-old Patrice to USC music classes. After winning a competition at the prestigious Monterey Jazz Festival at 18, Miss Rushen went on to compose, arrange and record a grip of jazz albums. Her sound became progressively funkier until she finally gave into the forces and went boogie in the early ’80s. Her pure jazz fans were disappointed, but roller skating fans were rejoicing in the damn streets.

Patrice’s sound is smooth and funky, with an unmistakable bounce - the result of her years of classical training and impeccable instincts. Her songs have been flipped, covered and chopped to death by everybody with a turntable and an 808, and they sound just as fresh today as they did 25 years ago.

So now you can bust some Patrice for your snooty Miles-Davis-Coltrane friends and be all, “Oh, you don’t know any of Rushen’s work? Shaaaame.” And then ditch those snoozers and get with a real crew. Damn.

Patrice Rushen
Haw Right Now
Prelusion, 1974
Hot straight ahead jazz instrumental, crazy keys. Nice, full natural afro on the album’s cover, too.

Hang It Up
Patrice, 1977
You can hear Patrice’s sound start to get funkier here.

Haven’t You Heard
Pizzazz, 1979
Forget that churchy Kirk Franklin remake. This is the original, irresistible jammie.

Remind Me
Number One
Forget Me Nots
Straight from the Heart, 1982
This was Miss Rushen’s biggest selling album. “Number One” won a Grammy, and she scored monster hits on the R&B charts for “Remind Me” and “Forget Me Nots.” All straight classics, flipped by everyone from Mary J. Blige to George Michael.