Before the Dawn (Patrice Rushen album)
| Before the Dawn | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1975 | |||
| Recorded | August 1975 | |||
| Studio | Fantasy (Berkeley, California) | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 36:58 | |||
| Label | Prestige | |||
| Producer | Reggie Andrews | |||
| Patrice Rushen chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide | [2] |
| Variety | (favourable)[3] |
Before the Dawn is the second album by jazz/R&B musician Patrice Rushen; while 1974's Prelusion was essentially a straight-ahead record with fusion references, 1975's Before the Dawn was essentially a fusion album. With this album, Rushen brings a fusion of R&B, pop, and rock elements to her jazz foundation.
The album included the song "What's the Story," which was the only song that did not have a jazz artist's sound; it had a more funk tune which featured singer Josie James. This would later be compared with songs from her follow-up albums as it showed great resemblance to her work as an R&B singer with Elektra Records. However, everything else on the album, is instrumental jazz — although instrumental jazz is mindful of R&B, pop, and rock. The album was a clear step for Rushen as it showed her entrance to R&B music and exit from jazz music.
Her next album was Shout It Out, her last with Prestige Records.
Track listing
[edit]All tracks composed and arranged by Patrice Rushen.
- "Kickin' Back" - 7:27
- "What's the Story" – 5:15
- "Jubilation" - 6:05
- "Before the Dawn" - 8:30
- "Razzia" - 9:41
Personnel
[edit]- Patrice Rushen – acoustic piano, electric piano, clavinet, synthesizers, tambourine, cabasa
- Lee Ritenour – guitars
- Charles Meeks – bass (1, 2, 4, 5)
- Tony Dumas – bass (3)
- Leon "Ndugu" Chancler – drums (1, 2)
- Harvey Mason – drums (3, 4, 5)
- Nate Alfred – percussion (1, 2, 5)
- Kenneth Nash – percussion (3, 4)
- Hadley Caliman – tenor saxophone (1, 2)
- George Bohanon – trombone (1, 2, 4)
- Oscar Brashear – trumpet, flugelhorn (1, 2, 4)
- Hubert Laws – flute, alto flute (3, 4)
- Josie James – vocals (2)
- Nate Alfred, Reggie Andrews, Thelette Bennett, Josie James, Charles Meeks, Charles Mims, Patrice Rushen, Evelyn Wesley, Jimmie Lee Wesley, Brenda White and Martha Young – handclaps (2)
Production
[edit]- Reggie Andrews – producer, remixing
- Charles Mims – special production assistance
- Skip Shimmin – engineer, remixing
- Patrice Rushen – remixing
- David Turner – mastering
- Phil Carroll – art direction, design
- Phil Bray – photography
References
[edit]- ^ Henderson, Alex. "Patrice Rushen: Before the Dawn". allmusic.com. Allmusic.
- ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 173. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
- ^ "Music Records: Stevens, Anka, Pryor, Wingfield, Brubeck-Desmond, Paul, Queen, Kraft werk, Scott, Foxx Top LPs". Variety. Vol. 281, no. 6. 17 December 1975. p. 52. ProQuest 1285991589.