Patti Austin: Carry On (1991)

Patti Austin, a gifted singer when she gets good material, works in murky waters on this '91 release. There are so many different things offered, from fusion and pop to more mainstream jazz and soul, that the album has no main course or personality. On the other hand, Austin does sing everything well, and GRP has enlisted enough of their session pros to ensure that the musical support is excellent. It's well-played, superbly sung filler. ~ Ron Wynn

Personnel: Patti Austin (background vocals); David Pack (vocals, guitar, accordion, piano, keyboards, synthesizer, drums, percussion, programming, keyboard programming, background vocals); David Benoit (guitar, synthesizer, string synthesizer); Terry McMillan (harmonica, drums, congas, tambourine, percussion); Michael Paulo (saxophone); Greg Phillinganes (piano, keyboards, synthesizer, percussion, keyboard programming, background vocals); Wayne Linsey (piano, keyboard programming); The Riddler (keyboards, programming); John Skippy Lehmkuhl (synthesizer, percussion, programming); George Perilli (drums); Burleigh Drummond (percussion); Erik Hanson, Larry Williams , Rod Temperton (programming); Edie Lehmann, Suzie Benson, James Ingram , Lynn Davis , Michael McDonald , Sally Dworsky, Jean McClain (background vocals)

Tracklist:

01. Carry On (5:14)
02. Givin' In To Love (4:59)
03. I Will Remember You (6:42)
04. How Can I Be Sure (3:41)
05. Why Did She Come In With You (5:09)
06. I Just Can't Let Go (4:56)
07. Monday Monday (4:47)
08. The More I Think About It (5:32)
09. Nobody To Dance With (5:06)
10. I'll Be Waiting For You (3:57)
11. (Don't Know) Whether To Laugh Or Cry (6:20)

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Patti Austin: Every Home Should Have One (1981)

The talented Patti Austin launched a successful jazz album career on CTI by the mid-'70s. Working with Quincy Jones since 1976, Every Home Should Have One was her long-awaited solo album with Jones as a producer. The hit singles "Do You Love Me" and "Every Home Should Have One" are polished -- pleasing but derivative. Rod Temperton -- who did four songs here, including the smooth "The Genie" -- comes up with a true gem, the classic Austin and James Ingram duet "Baby Come to Me." The most telling aspect of Every Home Should Have One isn't the L.A. pop/R&B Austin could do standing on her head, it's the most meditative offerings. A cover of Thom Bell and Linda Creed's "Stop, Look and Listen" gets an effortless treatment. The album-closing "The Island," with music from Ivan Lins and Vitor Martins and lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman, seems best suited for Austin as she gives a sensual and flawless reading. Every Home Should Have One doesn't possess Quincy Jones' all-encompassing production style of albums like The Dude and George Benson's Give Me the Night. While this seems like a debut album, it's far from it, but it's a perfect introduction to Austin and her more pop-orientated work. - AMG

Tracklist:
1 Do You Love Me? - Temperton 3:23
2 Love Me to Death - Temperton 4:08
3 The Way I Feel - Kaz, Waldman 4:20
4 Every Home Should Have One - Bugatti, Musker 3:27
5 Baby, Come to Me - Temperton 3:36
6 The Genie - Temperton 3:59
7 Stop, Look, Listen - Bell, Creed 3:09
8 Symphony of Love - Bowkett 3:41
9 Oh No, Margarita - Austin, Boddicker 3:54
10 The Island - Bergman, Bergman, Lins, Martins 3:47
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Patti Austin: On The Wat To Love (2001)

After affiliations with CTI (1976-80), Qwest (1981-88), and GRP (1990-1994), Patti Austin, as she passed the age of 50, seemed to have moved permanently from the soul jazz divisions of major labels to independents like Concord Jazz (for whom she made In and Out of Love in 1998) and even more modest recording affiliations (her last album, Street of Dreams, was handled by Platinum Entertainment). It is therefore something of a surprise that she has landed back at Quincy Jones' Warner Bros.-distributed Qwest label for her 15th album, On the Way to Love. It's also good news, since a singer of Austin's talent (and there aren't many of those) deserves the exposure possible through major-label distribution. The question, of course, is what sort of commercial compromises it entails. The answer is that Qwest's vision for Austin, one she seems to endorse enthusiastically, is to take her right back to the kind of quiet storm/adult contemporary/smooth jazz approach that characterized most of her earlier Qwest releases in the 1980s. Paul Brown, Boney James' producer, has been brought in, and, not surprisingly, the saxophonist turns up on "If You Really Need Me Now," a track that also features Austin's old duet partner (and Qwest labelmate) James Ingram. Siedah Garrett, another Qwest stalwart, co-wrote the title song, and Austin herself contributed to the writing of three songs, among them "Love's Been Kind to Me Lately," an attractive pop song that, like many here, may be more welcome on contemporary jazz stations than anywhere else. The songs indulge in street argot here and there, but this is an upscale effort for the most part, music for middle-aged Terry McMillan fans who aren't Waiting to Exhale anymore, but still don't want to work up a sweat. It's not bad, but Austin can do much better. -- William Ruhlmann

Tracklist:
01. Girlfriend (4:02)
02. What Can I Say? (4:17)
03. On The Way To Love (4:00)
04. Love's Been Kind To Me Lately (3:37)
05. Make It Right (4:27)
06. If You Really Need Me Now (4:28)
07. Playin' Arround (3:55)
08. Let Me Be Me (4:26)
09. Southern Rain (4:31)
10. Tell Me Why (4:33)
11. Love's Been Kind To Me Lateley (Unplugged) (3:38)
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Patti Austin: The Real Me (1988)

And how! Austin tackles standards such as "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" and "They Can't Take That Away from Me," and succeeds brilliantly. Her version of Comden, Green, and Bernstein's "I Can Cook, Too" is enough by itself to make this a pick.

Personnel: Patti Austin (vocals, sound effects, background vocals); David Pack (vocals, guitar, congas, percussion, background vocals); Michael McDonald (vocals, piano, background vocals); Howard Hewett, James Ingram, Tata Vega (vocals, background vocals); David Lindley (guitar, slide guitar); Earl Klugh (guitar, classical guitar); Chuck Berghofer, Nathan Kaproff, James Getzoff, Dan Neufeld, Harris Goldman, Alan DeVeritch, Joy Lyle, Franklyn D'Antonio, Arthur Royval, Richard Elegino, Charles Veal, Vicki Sylvester, Barry Gold, Henry Ferber, Don McInnes, Hershel Wise, Sid Sharp, Harry Shlutz, Cynthia Morrow, Ray Kelley, Nils Oliver, Arnold Belnick, Jacqueline Brand, Bonnie Douglas, Arni Egilsson, Stephen Erdody, Gayle Levant, Daniel Rothmuller, Evan Wilson, Michael Markman (strings); Bruce Hornsby (accordion); John Rotella (clarinet); Dan Higgins (woodwinds, saxophone); Ernie Watts (saxophone, tenor saxophone); Greg Huckins, Michael Brecker (saxophone); Jon Faddis (trumpet, flugelhorn); Gary Grant, Jerry Hey (trumpet); Bill Waltrous, Bill Reichenbach Jr. (trombone); Red Callender (tuba); David Benoit (piano, keyboards, synthesizer); Richard Tee (piano, synthesizer); Greg Phillinganes (synthesizer, bass synthesizer); C. Roscoe Beck (upright bass); Burleigh Drummond (drums, snare drum, percussion); George Perilli (drums, percussion); John "J.R." Robinson , Jeff Porcaro, Vinnie Colaiuta (drums); Paulinho Da Costa (shaker, percussion, sound effects); Luther Vandross, Amy Holland (background vocals)

Tracklist:

01. I Can Cook Too (5:14)
02. Stockholm Sweetnin' (1:37)
03. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (4:15)
04. True Love (3:49)
05. Across The Alley From The Alamo (3:47)
06. How Long Has This Been Going On (4:07)
07. Lazy Afternoon (5:46)
08. Love Letters (3:55)
09. They Can't Take That Away From Me (3:59)
10. Mood Indigo (3:26)
11. Cry Me A River (4:21)
12. Someone Is Standing Outside (3:59)
13. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most (5:08)
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Patti Austin: Havana Candy (1977)

CTI was having its troubles financially at the time. They recycled arrangements for all their artists and limited their budgets. Austin sang this undistinguished material with as much conviction as she could muster, but the general pallid air lingering over the production also affected her vocals. -- AMG

Tracklist:
01. That's Enough For Me (5:50)
02. Little Baby (4:15)
03. I Just Want To Know (4:57)
04. Havana Candy (4:37)
05. Golden Oldies (4:44)
06. I Need Somebody (4:32)
07. We're In Love (4:03)
08. Lost In The Stars (5:02)
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Patti Austin: End of a Rainbow (1976)

A professional since the age of five, Patti Austin was a protégé of Dinah Washington and Sammy Davis, Jr. A 1969 single for United Artists titled "Family Tree" cracked the R&B Top 50. Austin cut her debut LP, End of a Rainbow, for Creed Taylor's CTI label in 1976, followed by Havana Candy in 1977 and Body Language in 1980. She sang lead vocals for Japanese koto player Yutaka Yokokura on "Love Light" in 1978, did a duet with Michael Jackson on "It's the Falling in Love" for Off the Wall, and sang "The Closer I Get to You" on Tom Browne's album in 1979. Austin dueted with George

Benson on "Moody's Mood for Love" in 1980. She sang backgrounds for sessions by Houston Person, Noel Pointer, Ralph McDonald, Angela Bofill, and Roberta Flack.

Austin did vocals on Quincy Jones' The Dude LP in 1981, and was featured on the hit "Razzamatazz." She inked a solo deal on Jones' Qwest label, and her 1982 LP Every Home Should Have One included the number one pop hit (number nine R&B) "Baby, Come to Me," which got widespread exposure via the ABC soap opera General Hospital. The follow-up single, "How Do You Keep the Music Playing," was the theme for the film Best Friends. Both songs paired Austin with James Ingram. She continued recording for Jones' Qwest label through the '80s, but couldn't recapture her pop or R&B success, despite working with several top producers, including Jam & Lewis in 1985.

Austin switched to GRP in 1990 and recorded Love Is Gonna Getcha, with the singles "Through the Test of Time" and "Good in Love." She subsequently recorded Carry On and Live in 1991 and 1992. Street of Dreams followed in 1999 and On the Way to Love appeared in summer 2001. Her lovely tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, For Ella, appeared in spring 2002. Nearly five years later, Avant Gershwin was issued. After a decade on the jazz side of the fence, Austin returned more to the pop side with 2011’s Sound Advice, produced by Greg Phillinganes. -- AMG

Originally issued in 1976, "End Of A Rainbow" was Patti's solo debut album for CTI Records. Although not a commercial success, this album was one of the first ever to be exclusively devoted to the Quiet Storm "sound" that was just-then blossoming. Patti's soulful, tender and at times wistful and melancholic vocals are nothing short of exquisite. Patti wrote all eight tracks herself and CTI boss Creed Taylor obviously spared no expenses in getting the best session players for this cult classic. Now that it's available on CD "End Of A Rainbow" definitely deserves a reappraisal.

Tracklist:

01. Say You Love Me (6:07)
02. In My Life (4:23)
03. You Don't Have To Say You're Sorry (3:40)
04. More Today Than Yesterday (5:33)
05. Give It Time (3:27)
06. There Is No Time (3:44)
07. What's At The End Of A Rainbow (2:55)
08. This Side Of Heaven (3:06)
09. Sweet Sadie The Savior (6:26)

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Patti Austin: Street of Dreams (1999)

Street of Dreams was designed as a project for Patti Austin to sing her favorite songs, regardless of genre. True, there are a couple of later songs here, usually including two co-written by Vaneese Thomas, but the heart of the album is in interpretations of "The Look of Love," "Street of Dreams," "Someone to Watch Over Me," "'Till There Was You," "I Only Have Eyes for You," "For Once in My Life," and "IGY (What a Beautiful World)." Although the arrangements can get a little too clean and synthesized (much of the album sounds as if it was recorded with DX-7s), Austin is in terrific form throughout, breathing life into songs that have been recorded numerous times. It's a fine latter-day effort from a fine singer. - AMG

Tracklist:
01. The Look Of Love (5:10)
02. Street Of Dreams (2:43)
03. A Candle (3:40)
04. Someone To Watch Over Me (3:27)
05. 'Til There Was You (4:27)
06. Rain, Rain, Rain (4:44)
07. I Only Have Eyes For You (3:54)
08. For Once In My Life (3:36)
09. I.G.Y. (What A Beautiful World) (5:33)
10. Calling You (5:41)
11. Waiting For You (3:47)
12. Look What You've Done To Me (5:27)
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