The first 2 albums as a leader from keyboardist Patrice Rushen! Prelusion is a great set from Patrice – very different than her later R&B work from the 80s! The record's her first, and at the time, Patrice was much more
of a jazz artist – working here with a cool west coast set
of players (Joe Henderson on tenor, Hadley Caliman on alto and soprano, and Oscar Brashear on trumpet), playing a range
of keyboards, from acoustic and electric piano, to ARP, and clavinet. The tracks are long, and have a wonderfully composed soul jazz vibe – feeling a heck
of a lot like work on labels like Strata East, deeply dipping into a soulful bag that's solid and real, with no fakery or tricks to make the mood happen. Includes "Traverse", "Shortie's Portion", "7/
73", and "Haw Right Now". Before The
Dawn has Patrice working in a groove that's almost like that
of Herbie Hancock at the time – using lots
of electric piano, clavinet, and synth to craft some mighty fine jazz funk grooves. The group's a monster assemblage
of Fantasy jazz players like Hubert Laws, Lee Ritenour, Hadley Caliman, and Harvey Mason – and the session
crackles with a tight edge that you'll never find in any
of Patrice's later work. Tracks are long, with lots
of great spacey grooves, and titles include "Razzia", "Before The
Dawn", "Kickin Back", and "Jubilation". Note: CD omits the track "Puttered Bopcorn" from Prelusion – due to space restrictions.
(Jazz, Soul)