Masterjam

by Rufus & Chaka Khan, Rufus

Overview

As Khan released her first solo album, I'm Every Woman, the band released 1978's Numbers, sans Khan, and it went absolutely nowhere. Masterjam finds them back together, renamed Rufus and Chaka, with Quincy Jones producing the effort. Khan had worked with Jones on his 1978 album, Sounds...And Stuff Like That. The most striking thing about Masterjam is that is doesn't sound like a trademark Rufus effort. Jones' production style is so strong that the band's individual sound is all but lost. It's nothing to cry about, since Jones was at his R&B/pop peak and Rufus couldn't do it any better on their own. The album's first track is "Do What You Love What You Feel," with its subtle horn riffs arranged by Jerry Hey and vocals from guitarist Tony Maiden and Khan. On a track somewhat close to a ballad, the brilliantly arranged "Heaven Bound," Jones gets a good raw vocal from Khan. A frequent Jones collaborator, Rod Temperton, offers the title track and the even better "Live in Me." The album's only low point was a cover of Jones' own "Body Heat." On this version the pace is quickened, inexplicably turned into disco which revealed the lyrics to be paper-thin. Although Masterjam was just more of a Quincy Jones album than a Rufus effort, this ended up being one of the groups' last successful full-studio endeavors. ~ Jason Elias

Product Details

Release Date:	07/01/2022
Label:	Universal
UPC:	4988031508299
Rank:	43101

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Rufus & Chaka Khan   Primary Artist
Rufus   Primary Artist,Director
Chaka Khan   Primary Artist,Vocals,Director,Vocals (Background)
David "Hawk" Wolinski   Keyboards,Vocals
John "J.R." Robinson   Handclapping,Drums,Percussion
John Robinson   Drums,Percussion,Handclapping
Gary Grant   Horn,Trumpet,Flugelhorn
Tony Maiden   Guitar,Vocals
Larry Hall   Horn,Trumpet,Flugelhorn
Richard Heath   Percussion,Handclapping
Bobby Watson   Bass,Vocals
Larry Williams   Wind,Flute,Saxophone
Louis Johnson   Percussion,Handclapping,Clapping
Lew McCreary   Trombone
Kevin Murphy   Vocals,Keyboards
William Frank "Bill" Reichenbach Jr.   Trombone
Jerry Hey   Trumpet,Flugelhorn
Kim Hutchcroft   Horn,Flute,Saxophone
Seawind   Horn
Sid Sharp   Strings
George A. Johnson, Jr.   Percussion,Handclapping

Technical Credits

David "Hawk" Wolinski   Arranger,Composer
Ed Caraeff   Design,Photography
John Robinson   Arranger,Composer
Bruce Carleton Fisher   Composer
Lorrin Bates   Composer
Quincy Jones   Composer,Producer
Bruce Swedien   Mixing,Engineer
George Fischoff   Composer
Danny Leake   Composer
Tony Maiden   Arranger,Composer
Bill Meyers   Composer
George Osaki   Art Direction
Bobby Watson   Arranger
John "J.R." Robinson   Arranger
Rod Temperton   Arranger,Composer
Rufus & Chaka Khan   Performer
Rufus   Performer,Rhythm Arrangements
L. Smokey Bates   Composer
Kevin Murphy   Arranger
Mark Stevens   Composer,Composer
William Frank "Bill" Reichenbach Jr.   String Arrangements,Arranger
Leon Ware   Composer
Jerry Hey   Arranger,Horn Arrangements,String Arrangements
Bobby Holland   Photography
Dennis Linde   Composer
Chaka Khan   Arranger,Composer,Performer
Bruce Fisher   Composer
Peggy Lipton Jones   Composer
Billy Durham   Composer
Stan Richardson   Composer
Patti Austin   Composer