today's chillout music (326)

patrice rushen / posh

Patrice Rushen entered the 1980s on a high note with Posh, her third album for Elektra and sixth album overall. By that time, it seemed unlikely that Rushen would become a full-time jazz instrumentalist again -- she was enjoying too much success as an R&B/pop singer. When Posh came out in 1980, jazz's loss appeared to be R&B's gain. If you were a jazz lover, it was frustrating to see Rushen -- a talented improviser with a healthy appreciation of Herbie Hancock -- neglecting jazz. But if you loved sleek, sophisticated R&B/pop, you couldn't help but savor Posh and get into such offerings as the exuberant, Emotions-influenced "Look Up!," the vulnerable, slightly Stevie Wonder-ish "I Need Your Love," and the infectious "The Funk Won't Let You Down." Meanwhile, "Time Will Tell" has a bit of a rock edge and may very well be the most rock-influenced tune Rushen has ever recorded. Posh is enthusiastically recommended to anyone with a taste for late 1970s and early 1980s R&B.