RAHSAAN PATTERSON - BLUEPHORIA

A conversation often heard is the one lamenting that soul music just isn’t as good as it was “back in the day”, and I often ponder with playful irony the memories of my elders sharing much the same sentiment as they complained about being made to suffer the musical outrages of the noisy, offensive and occasionally sexually suggestive content of soul artists of the seventies & eighties, especially when I consider that many of the accused – Parliament / funkadelic , Prince, Marvin Gaye, to name but a few - are now considered to be legends and highly respected amongst today’s soulful chattering class.


This thinly veiled – but stubborn - refusal to listen to anything that doesn’t immediately supply a hankering to be transported back to that coming of age / first job phase of ones lives has got to be at its very least creatively restricting for both the music lover and it’s makers. Some of the best soul music has come from artists who took the risk to challenge the “norm” and seek to create their own soundtrack to a particular phase in their lives in order to grow, experiment and to reflect their own experiences.

Rahsaan Patterson’s latest release Bleuphoria, is a prime example of a work which has been imagined and conceived through a particular phase of an artist’s romantic experience.

This, his sixth solo release in a successful song writing and recording artist career that has spanned over a decade and a half, finds Patterson in his most experimental mode to date, and draws subtly on the musical influences of Prince whist utilising Patterson’s Chaka Khan like vocals to a smooth and often dramatic effect. From the very first track - a spookily catchy cover of the Flamingo’s, “I only have eyes for you” – one is made aware that this is not going to be a run of the mill release.

There is no shortage of guest vocalists & arrangers on this project - Andre Crouch and Tata’ Vega. Jody Watley, Shanice Wilson, Faith Evans, and Lalah Hathaway – all enhance tracks which range in style from some beautiful thoughtful soul ballads, deep soulful house, gospel, mid tempo funk and even a more rock influenced mid tempo number. However it is in the Soulful mid tempo tracks and the Ballads that his song writing and vocal talents truly shine on this release.
As by now you may well have guessed this album is unusual, requiring the removal of any musical blinkers, and allowing yourself the time to accompany one of this generations most successful soul artists, on a musical rollercoaster ride, that rewards far more than it ever frustrates.

Soulbrother.com