Patrice Isley chats to Nigel Clarkson

Sands Showbiz

Nige catches up with Patrice Isley in the US
Patrice Isley's "I Want You For Myself" was released on May 17, 2024.

Following the late 2023 release of her track “Harvest For The World,” Robbie Vincent of Jazz FM praised Patrice Isley’s work, saying, ‘There are tracks that become iconic, shared with someone special, and they become a protected species. This is one of them; it's very daring, but I think it works.’ Patrice received further acclaim within the soul community for her bold interpretation of Deniece Williams’ “Free,” completing a trilogy of cover songs with George Duke’s “I Want You For Myself.”

Patrice shared the background of the Duke cover: ‘Some time ago, Gary Hudgins, the producer and keyboardist behind the "Just Believe In Love" single on my debut album—who has also collaborated with Parliament, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Crystal Waters, Stevie Wonder, Najee, Dennis Chambers, and The Temptations—contacted me about a special song he felt was perfect for me. We had previously worked together at Quantize Recordings in Baltimore, where I recorded vocals for their House Music tracks and performed live in Maryland and Washington, D.C. Gary was confident that despite its challenging vocal range, I could handle it.

‘With my personal connection to George Duke and his wife Corine, I aimed to honour their legacy while respecting the Expansion label's advice to incorporate a different instrument into the solo. I reached out to Audley Reid, known for his work with Buddy Guy, Phil Perry, Kim Fields, and others, to record a saxophone solo. Audley loved the track and responded promptly. Erik Dennis, who produced my debut album "Believe In Love," handled the mixing and mastering of this updated version of "I Want You For Myself," which I am proud to present.

Years ago, Patrice honed her voice as a background vocalist on a recording for Teddy Pendergrass. Shortly thereafter, she had the opportunity to tour the US and Europe with Barry White, for whom she also provided background vocals on his hit "Practise What You Preach.” Soon, Patrice was in high demand, singing background for Philip Bailey on The Arsenio Hall Show.

Additional television appearances included performances on Soul Train backing El Debarge and Jermaine Dupri, on The Grammy Awards backing Coolio, on The Tonight Show multiple times with Coolio, and on various network television shows (ABC, NBC, CBS, TBN, and more) with Barry White, Andrae Crouch, Israel Houghton, and others.

Very few can claim a professional career working on stage and in the studio with over 30 multi-platinum selling, Grammy Award-winning A-list artists, including Gladys Knight, MC Hammer, Christopher Williams, Norman Connors, Marvin Winans, Bishop Paul S. Morton, Chante Moore, Ashford & Simpson, Judith Hill, Mikolas Joseph, Solomon Burke, and Glenn Jones. Patrice reflects, "I feel like I have to pinch myself. I've been fortunate to work with so many amazing, talented artists."

While some might see Patrice as a ‘covers’ artist, many listeners are familiar with the original songs on her debut album, "Believe In Love," where she showcases her ability to connect with her audience. Her previous single "Better" won critical acclaim upon its release in 2022, and she received a similar response with "Patrice's Groove," which reached #11 on the SmoothJazzGlobal.com charts, proving her skill as a songwriter.

• https://expansionrecords.co.uk/Luxury-Soul-2024-3CD-CDBEXP24-p194953099 - compilation album
• https://patriceisley.bandcamp.com/album/i-want-you-for-myself
• patriceisley.com

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