Wines & Spirits (CD - 2007)

Personnel: Rahsaan Patterson (tambourine, background vocals); Rahsaan Patterson (vocals, keyboards, programming); Jamey Jaz (various instruments, guitar, keyboards, programming, drum programming); Keith Crouch (various instruments, keyboards, bass synthesizer, programming, drum programming, background vocals); John Jubu Smith, Tim Pierce, Agape Jerry (guitar); Brian Bromberg (acoustic bass, programming, drum programming); Cornelius Mims (bass guitar); Ian Read (programming); Trina Powell, Mikelyn Roderick (background vocals); Michael Hunter (trumpet); Jeff Lorber (piano, keyboards).

Additional personnel: Johnny Onyx (rap vocals).

Audio Mixers: Erik Reichers; Tom McCauley.

Recording information: Ameraycan Recording Studios, North Holywood, CA; B2 Studios, Los Angeles, CA; JHL SOund, Pacific Palisades, CA; OPOPP, Hollywood, CA; Paramount Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA; The Sound Accademy, New South Wales.

Photographer: Mo Daoud.

Arrangers: Brian Bromberg; Rahsaan Patterson; Jeff Lorber.

With Rahsaan Patterson's fourth studio outing, WINES & SPIRITS, the ever-adventurous R&B/soul singer offers up an engaging and unpredictable album. While the thoroughly funky opener, "Cloud 9," nods to 1970s-era Stevie Wonder, "No Danger" gleefully wades into New Wave waters, and the brooding "Pitch Black" conjures up a goth-embracing Prince. Though Patterson's foray into hip-hop--the fast-paced "Time," featuring rapper Johnny Onyx--falls a bit short of the mark, the rest of the record serves as testament to the performer's restless creative impulse, a quality that may keep him away from the heights of the Billboard charts, but also warrants the respect of a devoted following. minimize