Feels So Real: The Complete Elektra Recordings 1978-1984 (Deluxe)

After she mixed post-bop, soul-jazz, and jazz-funk with nimble ingenuity over three albums for the Prestige label, Patrice Rushen moved to Elektra, and with labelmates Donald Byrd, Lenny White, and Dee Dee Bridgewater extended the imprints commercial reach while continuing to obscure the distinctions between jazz and R&B. Elektra VP Don Mizell promoted the term jazz fusion. Musician James Mtume referred to his similar approach as sophisti-funk. Whatever the category, Rushen was in the top tier. She continually moved forward as a keyboardist, vocalist, songwriter, arranger, and producer with the five LPs -- Patrice and Pizzazz, which hit the Top Ten of the jazz chart, followed by Posh and the Top Ten R&B albums Straight from the Heart and Now -- expanded and gathered for this boxed set. Strut Records previously summed up the era with Remind Me: The Classic Elektra Recordings 1978-1984, and while the single-disc set balanced deep quiet storm gems like "Settle for My Love" and "Where There Is Love" with danceable hits such as "Havent You Heard" and "Forget Me Nots," it left much to explore. "Hang It Up," "Let the Music Take Me," "Dont Blame Me," "I Was Tired of Being Alone," and "Get Off (You Fascinate Me)," just to pick a track off each album, merely hint at the delights here that werent anthologized. Feels So Real, packaged fold-out style with an informative and image-rich booklet, also adds well over a dozen bonus tracks -- versions and dubs from the original 12" singles, previously unreleased extended takes, and pioneering New York club DJ Danny Krivits re-edit of "Music of the Earth" (which Strut issued in 2010). ~ Andy Kellman