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. And sure enough, it wasn't until 1997's
Signature on Discovery that she recorded another instrumental album under her own name. 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.