Rahsaan Patterson: Wines & Spirits, CD

Following his most successful album to date in the UK and Europe – his first (2004) Dome release ‘After Hours’ – the Los Angeles singer-songwriter returns with his fourth album ‘WINES & SPIRITS’, which sees him reunited with producer Keith Crouch (who worked on his 1997 debut set) and long-time collaborator Jamey Jaz.

After 23 years in show business (he was a child star on US TV series ‘Kids Incorporated’), Rahsaan is now a mature soulful artist, whose melodic and lyrical skill has influenced a range of artists from Brandy (for whom he wrote her triple-platinum hit ‘Baby’) to Van Hunt. He has also written hits for the likes of Tevin Campbell and Jody Watley.

Named after legendary jazz sax player Rahsaan Roland Kirk, he was raised in Harlem, New York, and moved to Los Angeles in his teens when he became a TV star.

The album includes a wide range of songs from the hip-hop flavour of ‘Time’ to the Sunday morning groove of ‘Feels Good’, the gorgeous mid-tempo ‘Stop Breaking My Heart’ (the subject of a promo video, to be serviced to MTV Base and Kiss Dance) to his acoustic treatment, with lush strings, of a Seventies Janis Ian classic ‘Stars’, which reflects on the fleeting nature of fame. He also gets to rock out on the gospel-flavoured ‘Oh Lord (Take Me Back), which he recorded with SugaRush Beat Company.