When
Patrice Rushen
was being lambasted by jazz snobs for making the switch from jazz instrumentalist to R&B/pop singer, she was also winning over quite a few people. R&B fans didn't care if she was no longer playing long, improvised piano solos with
Joe Henderson
or
Hubert Laws
; they loved her singing, and couldn't have cared less what jazz snobs thought of her new direction.
Rushen
's profile in the R&B world continued to increase with
Pizzazz
, her second album for
Elektra
and fifth overall. The song that did the most to make this LP a success was
"Haven't You Heard?,"
a gem of a single that soared to the top of R&B radio play lists and was among
's biggest hits. Many listeners bought
because of
and they quickly discovered that the rest of the album was also excellent. Drawing on such influences as
Earth, Wind & Fire
,
Minnie Riperton
Stevie Wonder
, and
the Emotions
has no problem holding an R&B lover's attention with treasures that include the funky opener
"Let the Music Take Me,"
the soulful ballad
"Settle for My Love,"
and the perky
"Keepin' Faith in Love."
might have received tongue-lashings from jazz critics, but from an R&B/pop perspective, it's among
's most rewarding and essential albums. ~ Alex Henderson