''Before the Dawn'' was the second album by

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

/ R&B singer Patrice Rushen. While 1974's ''

Prelusion ''Prelusion'' is the debut album from jazz musician and later R&B recording artist Patrice Rushen. The first of three albums she would record with Prestige Records, the album was mainly Instrumental jazz which was her main focus as an artist befo ...

'' was essentially a straight-ahead record with fusion references, 1975's ''Before the Dawn'' album 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 has a more funk tune which features 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 Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the 1 ...

. Everything else on the album, however, is instrumental jazz — although instrumental jazz that 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'', which would be her last with

Prestige Records Prestige Records is a jazz record company and label founded in 1949 by Bob Weinstock in New York City which issued recordings in the mainstream, bop, and cool jazz idioms. The company recorded hundreds of albums by many of the leading jazz music ...

Track listing

All tracks composed and arranged by Patrice Rushen. # "Kickin' Back" - 7:27 # "Jubilation" - 6:05 # "What's the Story" – 5:15 # "Before the Dawn" - 8:30 # "Razzia" - 9:41

Personnel

* Patrice Rushen – acoustic piano, electric piano,

clavinet The Clavinet is an electrically amplified clavichord invented by Ernst Zacharias and manufactured by the Hohner company of Trossingen, West Germany, from 1964 to 1982. The instrument produces sounds by a rubber pad striking a point on a tension ...

, synthesizers, tambourine, cabasa *

Lee Ritenour Lee Mack Ritenour ( ; born January 11, 1952) is an American jazz guitarist who has been active since the late 1960s. Biography Ritenour was born on January 11, 1952, in Los Angeles, California, United States. At the age of eight he started play ...

– guitars * Charles Meeks – bass (1, 2, 4, 5) * Tony Dumas – bass (3) *

Leon "Ndugu" Chancler Leon "Ndugu" Chancler ( ; July 1, 1952 – February 3, 2018) was an American pop, funk, and jazz drummer. He was also a composer, producer, and university professor. Biography Early life Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, on July 1, 1952, Leon C ...

– drums (1, 2) *

Harvey Mason Harvey William Mason (born February 22, 1947) is an American jazz drummer, record producer, and member of the band Fourplay. Mason, who attended Berklee in the 1960s, received an Honorary Doctorate at Berklee's 2015 Commencement Ceremony for ...

– drums (3, 4, 5) * Nate Alfred – percussion (1, 2, 5) *

Kenneth Nash Dr Kenneth C. Nash (born 1964) is an American psychiatrist and professor who is certified in child and adolescent psychiatry and psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. He practices at the University of Pittsburgh Physicians, ...

– percussion (3, 4) * Hadley Caliman – tenor saxophone (1, 2) * George Bohanon – trombone (1, 2, 4) *

Oscar Brashear Oscar Brashear (born August 18, 1944) is an American jazz trumpeter Josie James Josephine James is a Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and recording artist. James is best known for her performances on Burt Bacharach’s world tours, such as her feature song “ Anyone Who Had a Heart". James is also the lead vocalist o ...

– vocals (3) * Handclaps on "What's the Story" – Nate Alfred, Reggie Andrews, Thelette Bennett, Josie James, Charles Meeks, Charles Mims, Patrice Rushen, Evelyn Wesley, Jimmie Lee Wesley, Brenda White and Martha Young

Production

* 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

{{Authority control 1975 albums Patrice Rushen albums Prestige Records albums