Patti Austin
learned her lessons well

By Rita Charleston
For the Times

Given her impressive musical pedigree and early exposure to some of the most trend-setting artists of the century, one would be surprised if singer-composer Patti Austin had not pursued a career in show business.
Daughter of musician parents Gordon and Edna Austin, who also counted Dinah Washington as her godmother and Quincy Jones as her godfather, Austin made her stage debut at Harlem’s Apollo Theatre when she was just 4.
She said she was one of the lucky ones growing up. As an adolescent, she appeared on The Sammy Davis Jr. Show and performed in the stage versions of Lost in the Stars and Finian’s Rainbow.
At age 9 she was traveling to Europe with her godfather, and toured with Harry Belafonte at the age of 16.
"Looking back, I would describe myself as a little girl who was obnoxious and precocious, so it was a complete comfort zone for me to do all that, and it just kept going from there," said Austin, who will appear at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts on April 19 as Spike Lee emcees a retrospective of his film work, with jazz performances by the Terrence Blanchard Quintet and special guests.
"This show has been done around the world. I got into it last summer and toured Europe with it. It’s a great show, and one I know audiences really love," she said.
Over the years, audiences have also fallen in love with Austin’s work, which has garnered much applause and many accolades. For example, in the ’70s she became one of the most prolific session singers of the decade, recording with Paul Simon, Billy Joel, George Benson, Joe Cocker and Roberta Flack, among others.
In the 1980s, she worked with such groups as Steely Dan and the Blues Brothers. Her vocals were featured on Quincy Jones’ album and title song, The Dude, which earned a 1982 Grammy award.
Then there was her own Grammy-winning album, For Ella, along with appearances with symphony orchestras around the world and her nomination last year for an NAACP Image Award in the category of Outstanding Jazz Artist.
And, she acknowledged quite happily, there has been much, much more, all adding to her pleasure in pursuing music as a career.
"I have done so many things, and there’s still a lot I want to do," she said. "I can tell you that I am in a very happy state when I’m performing and making music. Those are some of my very best moments in my life."
With 19 solo albums to her credit — so far — Austin said that despite her jazz roots, much of her career has been spent in contemporary R&B. But no matter how her work is defined, it all comes down to a basic principle, she says.
"It’s all just music to me. I try not to distinguish styles that much," Austin said. "The only thing I really pay attention to when I’m doing a song is what the lyric is saying, and trying to project and express that to the point that the person who’s listening to it is going to get something out of it."
She also hopes that parents who want their children involved in the music business would get something from her advice.
"And that is that they create a balance for their children before pushing them into this business. It’s only because I had such a balance that my life wasn’t messed up," Austin explained. "By day I went to public school, and by night I performed. But, believe it or not, my life was as normal as possible. And for that, I thank everyone involved." ••
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