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Outstanding! The Ultimate Gift provided my first exposure to Rahsaan Patterson, a seasoned R&B songwriter with a spectacular sense of marrying music with lyrics. Even the cover portrait is cool; the art presumably shows a soulful-eyed Rahsaan staring through the snow.

The very first track, Holiday, sets the stage and immediately grabs the listener. The opening bars present rapidly-rolling electronica, including hand-clapping, and fast-fades. The lyrics pulled me in right away, imagining "jingle all the way" in L.A. This is honest-to-god finger-snappin', toe-tappin' fare--the sort of stuff that makes you struggle to keep from exploding out of your chair. Excellent!

The addictive beat continues in the classic What Christmas Means to Me, with the song slowly building in volume and excitement. Rahsaan's sweet This Is the Season overflows with holiday imagery (and his light tenor floats effortlessly in the upper range); you can almost smell the gingerbread baking in the oven! Peace and Joy is a funky amalgam of multiple carols, creatively interwoven with style and panache. And Rahsaan's darkly melancholy That First Christmas may have you grabbing for a hanky. Nothin' but vocals and drums on Little Drummer Boy, making it one of the coolest versions I've heard.

Sadly, Rahsaan Patterson's Ultimate Gift slides to a halt after a measley 37 minutes. More! I want more! Maybe next year?

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2008)

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From the liner notes:

Rahsaan Patterson: vocals

Produced by Rahsaan, Jamey Jaz, Keith Crouch and Derrick "D*Loc" Walker, The Ultimate Gift is a heartfelt and soulful celebration of the Holiday Spirit.

From the Website:

Inspired by Prince, Rufus, Miles Davis, Earth, Wind & Fire, Donny Hathaway, Sarah Vaughn, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson, young Rahsaan was performing in his Pentecostal church choir by the age of 6. His talent and precociousness led his family to relocate to California, where he started a TV career. But music was in his soul, and Patterson began honing his craft and reaching out to other musicians in the Los Angeles area.

His unique sense of melody and lyric soon netted him songwriting placements, with hit songs for Tevin Campbell, Chico DeBarge, Christopher Williams, and Jody Watley. Together with producer Keith Crouch, he wrote the triple-platinum selling "Baby", which reached Number One on the national charts in 1994 and helped launch Brandy's multi-faceted career. ***

"As I get older and look back at my accomplishments, I'm quite surprised and amused with what I have achieved and things I've done," Patterson laughs. Not one to create music for strictly commercial considerations, the artist has been able to keep the integrity of his artistry intact. "My music is always layered, it's always personal and spiritual and it's always my relationship with my listener," he says. "You listening to my album is my conversation with you."

Rahsaan Patterson

The Ultimate Gift

Artist link

Track List