Patrice Jegou

It’s shouldn’t seem all that unusual that Patrice Jegou-Oyelese, who goes by just the first name Patrice, is an ex-professional ice skater: singing requires just as much grace as figure skating, if not more. She’s not new to singing, however, as this Canadian mezzo soprano was trained as a classical singer early on. Her biography states that she took up singing at the suggestion of a colleague while skating at an ice show in Mexico. In addition to having the benefit of professional voice training, Patrice also earned a doctorate degree in voice at Rutgers University.

The Summer Knows is, without question, a professional recording. This collection of mostly jazz vocal recordings features vocal contributions from Take 6, as well as Andrae Crouch and the Andrae Crouch Choir. Patrice’s husband, Yinka Oyelese, produced it with Anthony Ruotolo. Its orchestrations were provided by the Nashville String Machine.

Although jazz is the umbrella under which the music on this album primarily resides, there is more variety than such a label might at first glance suggest. For instance, Patrice’s take on Patsy Cline’s old “Walkin’ after Midnight” transforms this country-pop gem into a fairly rocking, big band workout, complete with electric guitar. With its extensive electric guitar soloing, it actually has an arrangement that might also be suitable for B.B. King. There is also some mighty swinging organ on it, too.

Take 6’s presence is most fully felt during “Lullaby of the Leaves,” which brings vocal quartet Manhattan Transfer immediately to mind in the best possible way. Take 6 also seem to be all over “I’ve Got the Sun in the Morning.” The latter is a vocal-only arrangement, with harmonized vocals, a finger-snapping rhythm and even a little whistling. Its lyric is a timely reminder that God’s provision of sunlight and moonlight is sometimes provision enough to be truly content.

Patrice’s version of “Till There Was You” is one of this album’s most un-jazz songs. Instead, it’s a beautiful, full-tilt orchestrated ballad. This is one of the most beautiful melodies of all time. Patrice sings it perfectly. They just don’t make recordings like this anymore. Written by Meredith Wilson for his 1957 musical, The Music Man, it’s so nice to hear this lovely song once again. Patrice also reveals her skills with ballads with a quiet, thoughtful reading of “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life.” It features fantastic musical dynamics, ranging from sparse jazz quartet backing, to full-bodied orchestral swells.

It sounds like Patrice brought back more than just a career change from that ice show in Mexico because “We’ll Be Together Again” swings to a slight Latin beat. Upping the ante, “Nino Precioso” is sung in Spanish. The latter is a Nicaraguan lullaby. It sports delightful Spanish guitar for its folk arrangement.

The Andrae Crouch connection is best utilized during “This Little Light of Mine,” which is an upbeat, organ-saturated, choir-supported gospel music workout. There are plenty of soulful brass horn parts to give it that joyful sound. The track also includes a wonderfully jazzy piano solo, as well as an equally enjoyable electric guitar solo.

All the star power applied to this CD would be for naught if Patrice didn’t have a good voice. However this girl can sing! She has a strong voice when she needs it, such as during “Walkin’ after Midnight,” yet shifts to a gentle tone when necessary, which she does for “Nino Precioso.”

Unfortunately, one has to wonder if something this good – but also this retro – will find its audience. A lot of these songs date back to a time when standards albums were also topping the pop charts. That’s not happening anymore. Tragically, the music Patrice makes might only appeal to a niche market. Nevertheless, good music is good music, whether the general populace picks up on it in mass or not. Therefore, The Summer Knows is an excellent combination of professional song arrangements and pitch-perfect singing.

Review By: Dan MacIntosh
Rating: 3 Stars (out of 5)

- ReviewYou

It’s shouldn’t seem all that unusual that Patrice Jegou-Oyelese, who goes by just the first name Patrice, is an ex-professional ice skater: singing requires just as much grace as figure skating, if not more. She’s not new to singing, however, as this Canadian mezzo soprano was trained as a classical singer early on. Her biography states that she took up singing at the suggestion of a colleague while skating at an ice show in Mexico. In addition to having the benefit of professional voice training, Patrice also earned a doctorate degree in voice at Rutgers University.

The Summer Knows is, without question, a professional recording. This collection of mostly jazz vocal recordings features vocal contributions from Take 6, as well as Andrae Crouch and the Andrae Crouch Choir. Patrice’s husband, Yinka Oyelese, produced it with Anthony Ruotolo. Its orchestrations were provided by the Nashville String Machine.

Although jazz is the umbrella under which the music on this album primarily resides, there is more variety than such a label might at first glance suggest. For instance, Patrice’s take on Patsy Cline’s old “Walkin’ after Midnight” transforms this country-pop gem into a fairly rocking, big band workout, complete with electric guitar. With its extensive electric guitar soloing, it actually has an arrangement that might also be suitable for B.B. King. There is also some mighty swinging organ on it, too.

Take 6’s presence is most fully felt during “Lullaby of the Leaves,” which brings vocal quartet Manhattan Transfer immediately to mind in the best possible way. Take 6 also seem to be all over “I’ve Got the Sun in the Morning.” The latter is a vocal-only arrangement, with harmonized vocals, a finger-snapping rhythm and even a little whistling. Its lyric is a timely reminder that God’s provision of sunlight and moonlight is sometimes provision enough to be truly content.

Patrice’s version of “Till There Was You” is one of this album’s most un-jazz songs. Instead, it’s a beautiful, full-tilt orchestrated ballad. This is one of the most beautiful melodies of all time. Patrice sings it perfectly. They just don’t make recordings like this anymore. Written by Meredith Wilson for his 1957 musical, The Music Man, it’s so nice to hear this lovely song once again. Patrice also reveals her skills with ballads with a quiet, thoughtful reading of “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life.” It features fantastic musical dynamics, ranging from sparse jazz quartet backing, to full-bodied orchestral swells.

It sounds like Patrice brought back more than just a career change from that ice show in Mexico because “We’ll Be Together Again” swings to a slight Latin beat. Upping the ante, “Nino Precioso” is sung in Spanish. The latter is a Nicaraguan lullaby. It sports delightful Spanish guitar for its folk arrangement.

The Andrae Crouch connection is best utilized during “This Little Light of Mine,” which is an upbeat, organ-saturated, choir-supported gospel music workout. There are plenty of soulful brass horn parts to give it that joyful sound. The track also includes a wonderfully jazzy piano solo, as well as an equally enjoyable electric guitar solo.

All the star power applied to this CD would be for naught if Patrice didn’t have a good voice. However this girl can sing! She has a strong voice when she needs it, such as during “Walkin’ after Midnight,” yet shifts to a gentle tone when necessary, which she does for “Nino Precioso.”

Unfortunately, one has to wonder if something this good – but also this retro – will find its audience. A lot of these songs date back to a time when standards albums were also topping the pop charts. That’s not happening anymore. Tragically, the music Patrice makes might only appeal to a niche market. Nevertheless, good music is good music, whether the general populace picks up on it in mass or not. Therefore, The Summer Knows is an excellent combination of professional song arrangements and pitch-perfect singing.

Review By: Dan MacIntosh
Rating: 3 Stars (out of 5)

- ReviewYou

Ever since Dianna Krall took the international music scene by storm in the ‘90s, the music world has turned its attention to the up and coming talent of America’s neighbor to the north, Canada. Often overlooked when it comes to its contributions to the modern music scene, mostly because of the almost complete dominance by the US of the charts, Canada has always been able to make bold statements and secure its place as important and fertile breeding ground for some of the best musical talent in the world, across many different genres. As Dianna Krall was able to bring attention to the Canadian jazz scene two decades ago, there is a newcomer making waves as we enter the second decade of the 21st century. Canadian vocalist Patrice Jegou, who now lives in the US, is putting her stamp on the modern, jazz-vocal scene with the release of her record The Summer Knows. The album is an entertaining and engaging collection of 13 tracks, which range from jazz to pop classics and more traditional tunes, all sung with the highest level of musicianship and musical interest.

No matter what context or musical genre Jegou finds herself in, the one thing that remains constant is the power of her voice. Her tuning is impeccable, there is a strong emotional quality to each and every line that reaches out and connects with the audience, and her tightly controlled vibrato adds flavor to lines and phrases without going overboard, all qualities of a world-class singer and interpretive artist. One of the most interesting vocal renditions on the album is not in fact a jazz or pop tune. “Down by the Sally Gardens” has a folksy quality to it, one that is almost Scottish in nature, and is sung in a subdued yet emotional way that allows the melody line to breathe, while building intensity at the same time. Folk-based melodies, while simple in nature, can often be engaging at a level that most pop or jazz tunes just can’t achieve. Here, this song stands out as a bright highlight in a highlight filled album.

Besides providing listeners with a strong vocal performance, Jegou’s voice is surrounded by top-notch accompaniment, including some very interesting string work that perfectly frames her vocal lines, ebbing and flowing between vocal phrases without ever taking the spotlight away from the melodic content of the pieces. A great example of this is the jazz standard “Speak Low,” which is given a Bossa Nova treatment by Jegou and company. The strings enter and fade between phrases, playing the accompaniment role while the vocals are at the forefront of the mix, and then jumping forward to take the lead role between lines when the vocals take a break. The interaction of strings and lead line continues during the short, yet well-played, piano solo. The strings then build behind the vocals as the tune reaches its climax, always pushing the music forward without tripping things up by getting too forward and overpowering, a tip of the hat to the masterful arranging featuring on the record.

With a mixture of musical styles, creative arrangements and world-class performances, Jegou is making a very strong statement with The Summer Knows. With Dianna Krall performing and releasing fewer albums these days, there is an opening in the vocal jazz world for a new artist to step forward and take the spotlight. With the release of this album, Jegou goes a long way to securing her place at the top of the Canadian vocal jazz scene, and taking a big step into building a larger, international audience at the same time.

Reviewed by Matthew Warnock
Rating: 5 Stars (out of 5)
- ReviewYou

Ever since Dianna Krall took the international music scene by storm in the ‘90s, the music world has turned its attention to the up and coming talent of America’s neighbor to the north, Canada. Often overlooked when it comes to its contributions to the modern music scene, mostly because of the almost complete dominance by the US of the charts, Canada has always been able to make bold statements and secure its place as important and fertile breeding ground for some of the best musical talent in the world, across many different genres. As Dianna Krall was able to bring attention to the Canadian jazz scene two decades ago, there is a newcomer making waves as we enter the second decade of the 21st century. Canadian vocalist Patrice Jegou, who now lives in the US, is putting her stamp on the modern, jazz-vocal scene with the release of her record The Summer Knows. The album is an entertaining and engaging collection of 13 tracks, which range from jazz to pop classics and more traditional tunes, all sung with the highest level of musicianship and musical interest.

No matter what context or musical genre Jegou finds herself in, the one thing that remains constant is the power of her voice. Her tuning is impeccable, there is a strong emotional quality to each and every line that reaches out and connects with the audience, and her tightly controlled vibrato adds flavor to lines and phrases without going overboard, all qualities of a world-class singer and interpretive artist. One of the most interesting vocal renditions on the album is not in fact a jazz or pop tune. “Down by the Sally Gardens” has a folksy quality to it, one that is almost Scottish in nature, and is sung in a subdued yet emotional way that allows the melody line to breathe, while building intensity at the same time. Folk-based melodies, while simple in nature, can often be engaging at a level that most pop or jazz tunes just can’t achieve. Here, this song stands out as a bright highlight in a highlight filled album.

Besides providing listeners with a strong vocal performance, Jegou’s voice is surrounded by top-notch accompaniment, including some very interesting string work that perfectly frames her vocal lines, ebbing and flowing between vocal phrases without ever taking the spotlight away from the melodic content of the pieces. A great example of this is the jazz standard “Speak Low,” which is given a Bossa Nova treatment by Jegou and company. The strings enter and fade between phrases, playing the accompaniment role while the vocals are at the forefront of the mix, and then jumping forward to take the lead role between lines when the vocals take a break. The interaction of strings and lead line continues during the short, yet well-played, piano solo. The strings then build behind the vocals as the tune reaches its climax, always pushing the music forward without tripping things up by getting too forward and overpowering, a tip of the hat to the masterful arranging featuring on the record.

With a mixture of musical styles, creative arrangements and world-class performances, Jegou is making a very strong statement with The Summer Knows. With Dianna Krall performing and releasing fewer albums these days, there is an opening in the vocal jazz world for a new artist to step forward and take the spotlight. With the release of this album, Jegou goes a long way to securing her place at the top of the Canadian vocal jazz scene, and taking a big step into building a larger, international audience at the same time.

Reviewed by Matthew Warnock
Rating: 5 Stars (out of 5)
- ReviewYou

Call it pop vocal, or adult contemporary, or “crooner”-esque if you will, but whatever the style attached to it, Patrice Jegou’s voice found a home singing it. On her album The Summer Knows, Jegou lends her voice to a few standards and does a bang up job on the majority of them. Her singing on such favorites as “Lullaby Of The Leaves”, “This Little Light Of Mine”, and “I’ve Got The Sun In The Mornin’ “ highlights this set, but she does get an A for effort in her attempt to tackle some mighty fine standards.

Sort of in the same style and genre as Peggy Lee, Barbara Streisand, Liza Minelli, and Judy Holiday, to name but a few, Jegou sings her songs with a gorgeous mezzo soprano voice. Her album kicks off with “What Are You Doing For The Rest Of Your Life”, a slow song that’s elevated by Jegou’s upfront vocal strength and adaptability. She follows this with “This Little Light Of Mine” in a gospel-slash-jazzy style, heightened wonderfully by the Hammond B-3 keyboard work, horns, percussion, and backup singers. There’s also some fiery piano meandering around the middle, interplaying with the guitar to make it a little more steamy than usual. Next, “We’ll Be Together Again” is a jaunty little number that takes on a sophisticated yet playful feel thanks to its slight merengue tinge infused in its rhythm and cadence.

“Down By The Sally Gardens” is surrounded by a haunting Celtic air, with Jegou singing a “Loreena McKennit” type of melancholy ballad that shows another side to her pretty song style. “Til There Was You”, covered most famously by Peggy Lee, begins with the crystal tinkling of the piano, and then is set alight by Jegou’s sweet vocal tones. “What A Difference A Day Made” performed by such greats as Dinah Washington, Rod Stewart, and Diana Ross, comes up just so-so from Jegou, while the guitar swing and twang that opens Patsy Cline”s “Walkin’ After Midnight” is the highlight, as she just can’t hold a candle to Cline, but she does try awfully hard. “I’ve Got The Sun In The Mornin’ “ is a Bobby Darin-ish style tune from the musical Annie Get Your Gun, originally performed by the great Ethel Merman. Actually, this is an enjoyable version from Jegou, giving it a nice little swagger and a whole bunch of finger snaps to keep it going.

The soft and gentle “Lullaby Of The Leaves” is a standard tune kept adrift by Jegou’s vigour, while the orchestral version of “The Summer Knows “ is a passable, musical-style tune. “Nino Precioso” is sung in Spanish , and Jegou sounds vibrant, energetic, and quite adoring amidst the strings and background instruments that aptly set the Spanish tone.

For the most part, Patrice Jegou manages to cover the majority of her choices on The Summer Knows with enough vocal vehemence to make them distinct and unique. She falls short on a couple of tunes, but she does do a pretty good job at giving some of these timeless classics a new life. It will interesting to see what she can do with more original material. That being said, lovers of this style of pop-vocal charm won’t have a hard time warming up to Jegou’s picks.


Reviewed by: Mike DeGagne
Rating: 3.5 Stars (out of 5)

- ReviewYou

Call it pop vocal, or adult contemporary, or “crooner”-esque if you will, but whatever the style attached to it, Patrice Jegou’s voice found a home singing it. On her album The Summer Knows, Jegou lends her voice to a few standards and does a bang up job on the majority of them. Her singing on such favorites as “Lullaby Of The Leaves”, “This Little Light Of Mine”, and “I’ve Got The Sun In The Mornin’ “ highlights this set, but she does get an A for effort in her attempt to tackle some mighty fine standards.

Sort of in the same style and genre as Peggy Lee, Barbara Streisand, Liza Minelli, and Judy Holiday, to name but a few, Jegou sings her songs with a gorgeous mezzo soprano voice. Her album kicks off with “What Are You Doing For The Rest Of Your Life”, a slow song that’s elevated by Jegou’s upfront vocal strength and adaptability. She follows this with “This Little Light Of Mine” in a gospel-slash-jazzy style, heightened wonderfully by the Hammond B-3 keyboard work, horns, percussion, and backup singers. There’s also some fiery piano meandering around the middle, interplaying with the guitar to make it a little more steamy than usual. Next, “We’ll Be Together Again” is a jaunty little number that takes on a sophisticated yet playful feel thanks to its slight merengue tinge infused in its rhythm and cadence.

“Down By The Sally Gardens” is surrounded by a haunting Celtic air, with Jegou singing a “Loreena McKennit” type of melancholy ballad that shows another side to her pretty song style. “Til There Was You”, covered most famously by Peggy Lee, begins with the crystal tinkling of the piano, and then is set alight by Jegou’s sweet vocal tones. “What A Difference A Day Made” performed by such greats as Dinah Washington, Rod Stewart, and Diana Ross, comes up just so-so from Jegou, while the guitar swing and twang that opens Patsy Cline”s “Walkin’ After Midnight” is the highlight, as she just can’t hold a candle to Cline, but she does try awfully hard. “I’ve Got The Sun In The Mornin’ “ is a Bobby Darin-ish style tune from the musical Annie Get Your Gun, originally performed by the great Ethel Merman. Actually, this is an enjoyable version from Jegou, giving it a nice little swagger and a whole bunch of finger snaps to keep it going.

The soft and gentle “Lullaby Of The Leaves” is a standard tune kept adrift by Jegou’s vigour, while the orchestral version of “The Summer Knows “ is a passable, musical-style tune. “Nino Precioso” is sung in Spanish , and Jegou sounds vibrant, energetic, and quite adoring amidst the strings and background instruments that aptly set the Spanish tone.

For the most part, Patrice Jegou manages to cover the majority of her choices on The Summer Knows with enough vocal vehemence to make them distinct and unique. She falls short on a couple of tunes, but she does do a pretty good job at giving some of these timeless classics a new life. It will interesting to see what she can do with more original material. That being said, lovers of this style of pop-vocal charm won’t have a hard time warming up to Jegou’s picks.


Reviewed by: Mike DeGagne
Rating: 3.5 Stars (out of 5)

- ReviewYou

Vocal perfection is seldom achieved in any realm of music, and it could be argued that such a thing is impossible. If that argument is correct, then Patrice Jegou’s The Summer Knows will still stand as one of the finest attempts yet to achieve such a lofty goal. A world class vocalist many times over, Jegou’s laurels span the worlds of performance and academia. Yet this album of jazz tunes and standards is perhaps even more telling of her abilities than her stints with world famous orchestras and at the head of countless classes. Her husband inspired her to make The Summer Knows, and Jegou fully seized the opportunity. She employed various musicians to help the album’s thirteen songs come alive, most notably Andrae Crouch and his Choir. The result is a snazzy, sophisticated collection of classic tunes done well.

Within the framework of standards such as these, the song selection is actually quite diverse. There are plenty of timeless American tunes in the Streisand/Sinatra vein like “Speak Low,” “The Summer Knows” and “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life.” Songs written for the stage, like “Lullaby of the Leaves” and “Til There Was You” are also a massive theme on the album, and the whole record is informed by theatrical atmosphere and lush arrangements. There are moments of country (“Walkin’ After Midnight”), Irish music (“Down by the Sally Gardens”) and even a Spanish lullabye (“Nino Precioso”). She even merges Spanish language lyrics with the canonical words to “What a Difference a Day Made,” adding an interesting wrinkle to a song normally played by the book. Jegou handles every style with remarkable precision, effortlessly accentuating her crystalline mezzo with flawless vibrato. The only time she’s masked is when gust arranger Mark Kibble gets the backing vocalists riled up with needlessly busy harmonizing and a capella meandering. The otherwise charming version of Irving Berlin’s “I’ve Got the Sun in the Morning” is irreparably harmed by such overblown moments.

There are a lot of ambiguous standards here, many appearing for what must be their millionth time on record. Making interesting listening out of well-worn tracks such as “What A Difference a Day Made” and “Til There Was You” is, at this moment in time, a gargantuan task for all but the most accomplished singers and arrangers. Jegou and her crew do remarkably well in dusting off the songs and applying a tasteful yet invigorating sheen. “This Little Light of Mine,” for instance, is given a bit of a Broadway treatment courtesy of Crouch’s larger-than-life choir and a cadre of celebratory horns. Jegou unleashes some soulful moans in the intro before the full gospel force of organ, horns, piano, bass, drums, and that glorious choir comes strutting into the mix. The whole album is surprisingly engaging from an instrumental standpoint. The intense “This Little Light of Mine” features piano and guitar solos along with plenty of brilliant brass work, and “Walkin’ After Midnight” finds the musicians injecting as much honky-tonk flavor as possible for the situation. Conversely, “Til There Was You” is awash in luxurious strings that ache along with Jegou’s every word, and “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life” swings toward a slinky and swank spy-movie ambience.

Standards albums can only be so good, but highlights like the smoky “Speak Low” and the enchanting “We’ll Be Together Again” make this one worth further exploration. There’s a ceiling for enjoyment when it comes to the material, but The Summer Knows works because Jegou has no such limit to her talent.

Review by Bryan Rodgers
Rating: 4.5 Stars (out of 5)
- ReviewYou

Vocal perfection is seldom achieved in any realm of music, and it could be argued that such a thing is impossible. If that argument is correct, then Patrice Jegou’s The Summer Knows will still stand as one of the finest attempts yet to achieve such a lofty goal. A world class vocalist many times over, Jegou’s laurels span the worlds of performance and academia. Yet this album of jazz tunes and standards is perhaps even more telling of her abilities than her stints with world famous orchestras and at the head of countless classes. Her husband inspired her to make The Summer Knows, and Jegou fully seized the opportunity. She employed various musicians to help the album’s thirteen songs come alive, most notably Andrae Crouch and his Choir. The result is a snazzy, sophisticated collection of classic tunes done well.

Within the framework of standards such as these, the song selection is actually quite diverse. There are plenty of timeless American tunes in the Streisand/Sinatra vein like “Speak Low,” “The Summer Knows” and “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life.” Songs written for the stage, like “Lullaby of the Leaves” and “Til There Was You” are also a massive theme on the album, and the whole record is informed by theatrical atmosphere and lush arrangements. There are moments of country (“Walkin’ After Midnight”), Irish music (“Down by the Sally Gardens”) and even a Spanish lullabye (“Nino Precioso”). She even merges Spanish language lyrics with the canonical words to “What a Difference a Day Made,” adding an interesting wrinkle to a song normally played by the book. Jegou handles every style with remarkable precision, effortlessly accentuating her crystalline mezzo with flawless vibrato. The only time she’s masked is when gust arranger Mark Kibble gets the backing vocalists riled up with needlessly busy harmonizing and a capella meandering. The otherwise charming version of Irving Berlin’s “I’ve Got the Sun in the Morning” is irreparably harmed by such overblown moments.

There are a lot of ambiguous standards here, many appearing for what must be their millionth time on record. Making interesting listening out of well-worn tracks such as “What A Difference a Day Made” and “Til There Was You” is, at this moment in time, a gargantuan task for all but the most accomplished singers and arrangers. Jegou and her crew do remarkably well in dusting off the songs and applying a tasteful yet invigorating sheen. “This Little Light of Mine,” for instance, is given a bit of a Broadway treatment courtesy of Crouch’s larger-than-life choir and a cadre of celebratory horns. Jegou unleashes some soulful moans in the intro before the full gospel force of organ, horns, piano, bass, drums, and that glorious choir comes strutting into the mix. The whole album is surprisingly engaging from an instrumental standpoint. The intense “This Little Light of Mine” features piano and guitar solos along with plenty of brilliant brass work, and “Walkin’ After Midnight” finds the musicians injecting as much honky-tonk flavor as possible for the situation. Conversely, “Til There Was You” is awash in luxurious strings that ache along with Jegou’s every word, and “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life” swings toward a slinky and swank spy-movie ambience.

Standards albums can only be so good, but highlights like the smoky “Speak Low” and the enchanting “We’ll Be Together Again” make this one worth further exploration. There’s a ceiling for enjoyment when it comes to the material, but The Summer Knows works because Jegou has no such limit to her talent.

Review by Bryan Rodgers
Rating: 4.5 Stars (out of 5)
- ReviewYou