Equalizers: Patrice Rushen

Summary

All Of It: Equalizers – A Deep Dive into Patrice Rushen’s Musical Journey

Podcast Information:

• Title: All Of It
• Host: Alison Stewart
• Episode: Equalizers: Patrice Rushen
• Release Date: March 17, 2025
• Description: ALL OF IT is a show about culture and its consumers, aiming to engage thinkers, doers, makers, and creators about the what and why of their work.

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Introduction

In the March 17, 2025 episode of All Of It, host Alison Stewart delves into the illustrious career of Patrice Rushen, a multifaceted artist celebrated as a pianist, singer, composer, and producer. Recognized as the first woman to serve as the musical director for prestigious ceremonies such as the Grammys, Emmys, and NAACP Image Awards, Rushen's influence spans across genres and decades. This episode, part of the Women in Music Production series commemorating Women's History Month, offers an in-depth exploration of her contributions to the music industry, her approach to production, and her enduring legacy.

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Early Beginnings and Musical Foundation

Patrice Rushen's journey into music began at the tender age of five when she started playing the piano. While her formal training was rooted in classical music, her home life was infused with jazz and the popular sounds of her parents' era. This diverse musical upbringing fostered her versatility and her ability to seamlessly navigate various genres.

Notable Quote:

“I was doing classical music for quite a long time. But, at home, I was hearing jazz and the pop music of my parents' day as I was growing up.”
— Patrice Rushen [08:48]

This blend of classical precision and the improvisational essence of jazz became the cornerstone of her musical identity, allowing her to adapt and flourish in multiple musical landscapes.

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Transition to Production: Embracing the Role

Rushen's foray into music production was a natural progression from her experience as a performer and band leader. Her initial steps involved co-producing her own records and assisting other artists, where she observed and learned from established producers.

Notable Quote:

“The producer's role was to bring the best out of everybody, to get the best performances of these songs.”
— Patrice Rushen [04:43]

She emphasized the importance of creating an environment where artists feel empowered to deliver their best, drawing parallels between production and leading a band. This philosophy underscored her approach to production, focusing on organization, empowerment, and maintaining the artistic vision.

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Mentorship and Influences

Mentorship played a pivotal role in shaping Rushen's production philosophy. Her first mentor, Reggie Andrews, who was also her high school teacher, introduced her to the intricacies of production. Additionally, working alongside industry giants like Quincy Jones and Richard Perry provided her with invaluable insights into maximizing musicians' potential.

Notable Quote:

“I keep using that word, empower people to give you their best. Those were very, very, very big. Made big impressions on me in terms of how you treat people.”
— Patrice Rushen [10:51]

These experiences reinforced her belief in the producer’s role as a facilitator, ensuring that every collaborator can contribute their utmost to the creative process.

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Iconic Works and Artistic Innovations

One of Rushen's early notable projects includes the 1977 album "Shout It Out," where she not only performed but also took on the role of producer. A standout feature of this album was her use of the Rhodes keyboard, which allowed her to experiment with electronic sounds while maintaining the traditional feel of the piano.

Notable Quote:

“The sound was so amazing. And I was always attracted to how it could either blend well with other instruments or be a solo instrument as well.”
— Patrice Rushen [05:56]

Her ability to integrate dance music with jazz traditions is evident in tracks like "Forget Me Nots" and "Breaking All the Rules," showcasing her talent for creating commercially viable instrumentals without compromising artistic integrity.

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Collaborations and Breakthroughs

Rushen's collaboration with pop artist Sheena Easton on the jazz standard album "No Strings" marked a significant milestone in her career. Initially brought together to work on a song for the film "Indecent Proposal," their successful collaboration inspired the creation of the album.

Notable Quote:

“Making her comfortable enough to feel that she could do that safely and without feeling inhibited at all was a big part of the session and part of the producer's role.”
— Patrice Rushen [17:39]

This project highlighted her adeptness at fostering a supportive environment, enabling artists like Easton to explore new musical territories with confidence.

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Trailblazing as a Musical Director

Patrice Rushen broke new ground as the first woman to serve as the musical director for the Grammys, Emmys, and NAACP Image Awards. Her appointment to these roles was a testament to her expertise and the respect she commanded in the industry.

Notable Quote:

“The work and the music and the idea of being respected for the work overrode everything else.”
— Patrice Rushen [21:48]

She reflected on the challenges and responsibilities that came with being a trailblazer, emphasizing the importance of integrity, preparation, and humility in overcoming biases and achieving excellence.

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Recognition and Legacy

Rushen's contributions have not gone unnoticed. She received a lifetime achievement award from the National Association of Music Merchants and was recently honored by Alicia Keys, who gave her a heartfelt shout-out during the Grammys.

Notable Quote:

“I was floored because I met Alicia a few times on some television shows where I was music directing... I was flabbergasted that she mentioned me and that she mentioned me first.”
— Patrice Rushen [23:52]

This acknowledgment from peers underscores her lasting impact and the high regard in which she is held within the music community.

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Continuing the Musical Journey

Beyond her production and directorial roles, Patrice Rushen remains an active performer. She frequently engages with audiences worldwide, delighting fans with live performances and continuing to inspire new generations of musicians.

Notable Quote:

“It's wonderful to feel like, especially someone as gifted and wonderful as her would acknowledge. That's really cool.”
— Patrice Rushen [23:50]

Her ongoing performances serve as a testament to her enduring passion for music and her commitment to sharing her artistry with the world.

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Conclusion

Patrice Rushen's story is one of talent, perseverance, and groundbreaking achievements. From her early days as a jazz pianist to her influential role as a producer and musical director, Rushen has consistently pushed the boundaries of what it means to be a musician in the modern era. All Of It shines a spotlight on her multifaceted career, celebrating her as an equalizer in the music industry and an inspiration for future generations.

For those looking to explore Patrice Rushen's music or attend her performances, her website provides up-to-date information on her latest projects and tour dates.

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This summary was crafted based on the transcript from the March 17, 2025 episode of All Of It on WNYC, hosted by Alison Stewart.

Transcript

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[Patrisse Rushen]

Listener Supported WNYC Studios.

[Alison Stewart]

This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. I wanted to preview some of the conversations we're planning on having on the show later this week. Tomorrow, jazz trumpeter Theo Crocker will be here to preview his new album and perform live in WNYC's Studio 5. That's in the future. Now let's get this hour started with Patrice Rushin. My next guest is a pianist, a singer, a producer, and the first woman to serve as musical director for the Grammys and the Emmys and the NAACP Image Awards. For another installment of our series, Women in Music Production, I'm joined by Patrisse Rushen. That is Rushin's 1982 hit Forget Me Nots, a song written, arranged, performed and produced by Rushen, one of a number of hits she's had on the R and B and dance charts. But Rushin got her start as a jazz pianist, and in 1993, she put her jazz experience to use as the producer of Sheena Easton's standards album no Strings. In the years since, she has contributed and performed music and worked in the studio and as a faculty member at Berklee College of Music and usc. She was also recently given a lifetime achievement award by the national association of Music Merchants. We're honored to have her here. Patrisse, nice to meet you.

[Patrisse Rushen]

Thank you. Great to talk to you.

[Alison Stewart]

What do you remember about the first time you stepped into the studio as a producer?

[Patrisse Rushen]

Wow. Well, I had had a little bit of experience with it, co producing most of my own records and in doing so much studio work for other people, observing other really fantastic producers in terms of what they, how they would get the best, you know, out of the musicians. So I gathered a lot of information before I actually had an assignment to have to produce a project on my own. But what I learned is that a lot of the things that I took away as a music education major in school and leading bands, little small combos and things like that, a lot of the information was transferable in how you empower others to be able to give you their best and keep the, the goal in mind for what it is that you want and cast things correctly. So and it was always Fun for me. Always enjoyed doing that.

What do you see as your job when you're the producer?

Well, the producer, you know, I think the job has kind of morphed. The word has kind of morphed into a different place than it actually was when. When I started, the producer used to be the person who would, in addition to handling all of the budgetary considerations, would also be able to get into the head of the artist enough to understand that the idea was to create the environment for them to be at their peak. And that would mean everything from the choice of the studio to the choice of the musicians, to the order and methodology that would be used in order to record the songs. It was a given that the artists were worth documenting. And the producer's role was to bring the best out of everybody, to get the best performances of these songs. Sometimes you were involved in picking the songs, but I think that the biggest thing was to create that environment for everything to be at its best.

Had you always been interested in producing or was it something that you discovered in the process of making your own albums?

I think it came out of the process of making my own albums. And there were so many, as I said earlier, similarities to being a band leader. You know, in college, I would play in small bands. We played for dances and parties and things like that. And putting those kinds of things together, those were some of the same kinds of characteristics that I think really good producers have to be organized and then to be able to take big things, break them down into smaller actionable bites, and empower people to give you the best so that at the end of the day, everything that you needed to have done is done.

I'm speaking to singer, pianist, composer and producer Patrisse Rushin for our March Women's History Month series, Women in Music Productions. I want to play a track from one of your earliest albums that you also produced, Shout it out from 1977. Okay. You go on Google, you look it up, and there's a picture of you in an ad for a Rhodes keyboard that you played on this track. First of all, what was special about the Rhodes?

Oh, the sound. That was the thing. And. And when the Rhodes first came out, that was really one of my first hands on opportunities to be able to experiment with electronics. There was a relationship between that and the piano, obviously, because it had keys, but the sound was so amazing. And I was always attracted to how it could either blend well with other instruments or be a solo instrument as well.

We're going to hear the album's intro track the hump before we play it. Is there anything about the production of this song or the album overall that comes to your mind that we should, we should listen. Listen for. In this track?

Well, I think this was one of the tracks that I guess was sort of the beginning of, of the integration of dance music and, and commercial sensibilities right alongside aspects of the tradition of jazz. Because jazz is the music that has improvisation in it. And, you know, you'll hear the solo and, and you'll hear those kinds of aspects included, but also in a way that lends itself into the idea that instrumentals can also be commercially viable.

Let's listen to Patrice Rushin.

Got to get over over the hard yeah, you got to get over over the heart now Gotta try before you make it.

I'm speaking to singer, songwriter, pianist and producer Patrice Rushin. You trained as a pianist. How was your training useful to you as a performer when you spread out into R and B and other genres? You first started as a jazz pianist, I should say.

Well, I guess that's the first way that people saw me in a performance context was playing jazz. But long before that I was, you know, I started playing piano when I was five. So the type of music that was used to teach me that was actually music that was classical music. Yeah. And so I was doing that, you know, for quite a long time. But, you know, at home I was hearing jazz and I was hearing the pop music of my parents day also, you know, as I, as I was growing up as a teen, you know, I was listening to Stevie Wonder and Sly Stone and the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, and I'm hearing all this different kind of music. And I don't separate it in my mind by category, more just from the standpoint of how it makes me feel and what I like. So I guess a long time ago I determined that if I was going to be involved in music, it was going to be trying to be in a situation that would allow me to explore all of these different things, because they weren't so different to me. You know, they were different in certain kind of nuance, maybe had a certain different lineage as far as the sociology and the history that brought that music forward. But the idea of music being a communicative art had always been front and center for me because of the reaction that I had to music. So while people saw me in the jazz context probably as a professional initially, it was, you know, a platform that obviously led to me being able to explore some other areas as well. And it, it set a Certain basis for me and for certain kind of credentials, I would say because jazz is so, so much a part of American music. All American, all of the music.

[Alison Stewart]

When you started in production, did you have a mentor?

[Patrisse Rushen]

I had several. I had several. My first, my first mentor was my first producer who happened to also have been my high school teacher. No way was Reggie Andrews. And just watching him get the best out of all of us and work, then Reggie shared the co. Shared the co production with myself and also Charles Mims Jr. Who was the producer of many of the Elektra albums that I did after I left Fantasy Prestige and I think also doing studio work and watching other producers like Quincy Jones and at that time, Richard Perry. I worked a lot of. I did a lot of sessions with a lot of different people who just in watching the way that they got the most out of the musicians. And again, I keep using that word, empower people to give you their best. That those were very, very, very big. Made big impressions on me in terms of how you treat people. And I think that for me, again, production is an offshoot of the music. It has to be that people come together. It has to be that they have a common purpose and the producer's identity there is. To help. To keep all of that in mind.

[Alison Stewart]

Let'S jump ahead to a song from.

[Patrisse Rushen]

Your 1987 album, Watch Out.

[Alison Stewart]

We're gonna play Breakin all the rules oh, no. Why does that make you laugh?

[Patrisse Rushen]

I guess that's kind of apropos for where we are these days.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's listen.

[Patrisse Rushen]

Excitement sparks my energy there's no holding me down Entertainment that a little is enough and it's tough oh, I can't get up God won't limit stand I'm lost but my stuff is standing up Breaking all the rules.

Our guest is Patrice Rushin for our March Women's History Month series, Equalizers, Women in Music Production. We'll have more with Patrisse after a quick break. This is all of it.

[Alison Stewart]

This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. I am speaking to singer, pianist, composer and producer Patrisse Rushen for our March Women's History Month series, women Music Production. Patrice, in the early 90s, you worked with Sheena Easton on the jazz standard album no Strings. How did the two of you get connected?

[Patrisse Rushen]

Well, I had met Sheena years before that, you know, and was a fan of her work that she had done. And in the, in the popular music area, you know, she had some big, big hits and amazing, amazing voice. She Called me because she had received a call to. To perform in a movie called Indecent Proposal. And the movie was with Robert Redford. It was gonna. And Demi Moore. This was gonna be a big, big picture. And she was supposed to sing a particular song, the. The Nearness of you, a beautiful, beautiful standard. And, you know, she asked me if I would work with her to put it together. Just a trio of musicians playing as. As it was going to be seen in the film. And so that's what we did. And it was. So. It came out so successfully, and she enjoyed the process so much that she said, I'd like to try to do an album of things like this. I've never. I love these songs. I've never done anything like this before. And they went to the record company to talk about. And the record company said, yeah, sounds good, if you want to do something like that. But no strings. You can't use any strings because it was expensive. They felt like. Like they didn't. They weren't ready to invest that kind of money in a. In a budget on some music that was not associated necessarily with Sheena, even though she was going to do an amazing job. So what we decided to do said, okay, well, you've been backed by a trio. Let's do backing by a quartet. Let's do quintet, let's do sextet, let's do ninette. And we'll use no strings.

[Alison Stewart]

Like, let's check it out. This is the nearness view.

[Sheena Easton]

It'S not the pale moon that excites me.

[Patrisse Rushen]

That.

[Sheena Easton]

Thrills and delights me oh, no it's just the nearness of you.

[Patrisse Rushen]

It'S not your.

[Sheena Easton]

Sweet conversation that brings this sensation oh, no it's just the nearness of.

[Patrisse Rushen]

You her voice sounds so intimate and in the way she's singing the lyrics. What did you bring out in Sheena Easton in that performance?

I think the confidence of knowing that the musicians who were playing with her were really listening to her and that the lyrics of the song, everybody. You know, a lot of people don't think about this, but the lyrics of the song inform how we play. The lyrics of the song inform my touch on the piano, where I decide to play at a particular time or particular voicing of a chord based upon in a song, the most important things are the melody and the lyric. And so I think for her to feel confident that there was this listening that was happening at the whole time allowed her to be able to really, really go into the character that she decided to go into for the song. And on the album, there's different iterations of that, you know, as she would want to change tempos or do something interesting. Of the other songs, you know, we. That was brought to the table, and that may have been an environment where that was maybe a little different for her at the time. Then the singer just comes in and the track is there, and you just play, you just sing. No, you're part of what is happening in the moment. And nearly all of the things were recorded live, meaning that everyone was there at the same time. She sang with us. If she wanted to replace a line or something like that, it was an afterthought on the basis of how she wanted to do something. But being in the moment was a big part of that session for her. And making her comfortable enough to feel that she could do that safely and without feeling inhibited at all, I think, was a big part of the session and again, part of the producer's role at that time, as well as I was the arranger on the project. So I also was able to, for some of the other songs, when we had a different instrumentation, be able to write for. For those different instruments as well.

As I mentioned in your intro, you worked as musical director for the Grammy Awards, the Emmy Awards, the NAACP Image Awards. How did you begin working as a musical director?

It kind of came out of an experience that I had when I was asked to compose the score for a motion picture called Hollywood Shuffle, which was director Robert Townsend Townsend First Picture. And as a result of the success of that movie, he got five HBO comedy specials. So he called me to ask me, do you know anything about how to do this? And he said, well, I. I'm gonna do like a sort of a comedy slash variety show. I'll have some film clips, I'll have, you know, sketches. I'll have comedians come on and play, and I'll have other musical guests. And I need somebody to help me put that together. Do you know how to do that? So I said, yeah. And there were aspects of it that I was quite familiar with and well within my wheelhouse at that time and other things that. That were going to be new. But I knew that I would. I would be able to rise to the occasion, and we had a terrific time. And it was from that show that other shows happened. The producer, one of the directors that was helping him with those comedy specials was doing the Emmys. The. The producer of the Image Awards, watched the comedy special and noticed what was happening. And each thing sort of enhanced the idea that I would be able to do these other things. So one job kind of helped the other one.

[Alison Stewart]

It's interesting because you're the first woman to serve as musical director for each of those ceremonies for the Grammys, at least that was. At least since the early 2000s. What do you think about those milestones? What do you think about that milestone?

[Patrisse Rushen]

Well, there's a part of me that if I had been thinking about that at the time, I may have not even done it. It was pretty major. But the work and the music and the idea of being respected for the work, you know, overrode everything else and the desire to do a great job, you know, as I look back on it now, you know, sometimes I don't receive necessarily the kind of credit for some of those milestones. And it's interesting because it's not necessarily that the credit is for me as much as it is to offer the idea, maybe other young women, that pursuing what they are about and what they do with the idea of the work and the integrity behind. Behind it, the joy of doing it, the love of doing it, that that can also help to create a platform for maybe you to do some things and you might happen to be first. But I also know that sometimes being first is overrated, because when you're first, sometimes a lot of the biases and concerns that people have, some of which are completely unnecessary, can take you off your. Off your goal if you're not very, very, very careful. So I think that the way to combat all of that is to know your stuff, be prepared, do everything with a certain confidence and joy and humility. And it worked out.

[Alison Stewart]

You got your flowers a little bit from Alicia Keys. She gave you a shout out the Grammys this year when she got her Global Impact Award. Let's listen.

[Patrisse Rushen]

Female producers have always powered the industry. Patrisse Rushin, Missy Elliott.

How did you. How did you react when you heard that?

I was floored because I met Alicia a few times on some television shows where I was music directing, and she happened to be a guest and, you know, I had to interact with her to prepare, help to prepare her for her appearance on a particular show. And of course, I'm a fan of her music, and I've really enjoyed, you know, what she does and what she represents, but I had no idea she was paying attention like that. And so I'm. I was flabbergasted, you know, that. That she mentioned me and that she mentioned me first. And obviously it was a. A big moment. My phone was blowing up. But people said, did you hear you know, which was also fantastic. So it's, it's wonderful to feel like, especially someone as gifted and wonderful as her would acknowledge. That's really cool.

You are still performing.

[Alison Stewart]

How can people see you? When can people see you?

[Patrisse Rushen]

Well, they can go to my website. That's the best way to find out when I'm performing. That website is www.patricerussian.com and there's a calendar there and you can kind of see all the things that I'm, that I'm up to and that I'm doing because I do so many different things that sometimes, you know, people don't catch one be doing one thing, they'll catch me doing another. But of late, I've been doing more dates because people want to hear some of the music that, you know, you just play. They want to hear me do that. I've been kind of responding to that a bit and doing some, some concerts and I'm enjoying doing it very much. You know, it's nice. I, I did some dates in Europe last summer and one of the, on one of the dates, it was a, it was a big festival and I looked out into the audience and I saw a little girl, 7 years old, and she was obviously with her grandmother who probably was 70 plus, and they're singing the same songs. And that blew me away that they're singing Forget Me Nots and all of these songs, you know, it was fantastic.

I have been speaking with Patrisse Rushin.

[Alison Stewart]

For our march Women's History Month series.

[Patrisse Rushen]

Equalizers, Women in Music Production. It is so nice to speak with you, Patrice.

Thank you so much, Alison. This has been a blast and a continued success.

Patrisse did a video for Roland recently where we see her talking about her.

[Alison Stewart]

Career and playing keyboard.

[Patrisse Rushen]

Let's go out on it.

[Progressive Insurance]

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