Released: 1997
After three straight albums that were, IMO, desperately trying (and largely failing) to keep up with trends, Patrice basically casts aside any pretensions of being a hit maker.
Thank God.
Signature is mostly jazz instrumentals with only two of the 10 tracks having vocals.
Even on those songs (covers of “The Sweetest Taboo” by Sade and “Hurry Up This Way Again” by the Stylistics) the vocals are minimal. Interestingly, they are the two weakest songs here. Also interesting: they easily sound the most commercial.
On to the good stuff!
“Almost Home” is a fusion of jazz and go-go music. Rushen’s acoustic piano is crystal clear, which brings me to a delightful point: this album’s production is fantastic. Whether the song is good or bad, everything at least sounds good.
“Days Gone By” feels like a Stevie Wonder acoustic jazz jam. “Softly” is gorgeously moody, but also almost slips by without notice it’s so stealthy.
“L’Ésprit de Joie” lives up to its title with a lively performance thanks in large part to the man, the myth, the legend Paulinho da Costa on percussion. Samba-tastic, baby.
“Wise Ol’ Souls” is a good song marred by stabs of synth keyboards. Come on, Patrice. This is 1997, not 1987. You didn’t need the unnecessary synth work.
Oh hey, now. We got some funk on “Oneness”. There’s still some slightly annoying synth keyboard, but it fits better here. What would have been even better was a full horn section replacing the synth keyboard. But the bass is mean, as are the drums
ALBUM GRADE: C+
A somewhat generous C+ since I’m overlooking the fact that like most albums after 1990, it’s too long. But Signature turned out to be the best Patrice Rushen album since 1982. Even someone like myself who typically steers away from anything resembling 90s smooth jazz found this enjoyable for the most part.
Song Scores
Almost Home: 7.5/10
Days Gone By: 7.5/10
The Sweetest Taboo: 6/10
Sneaky Pete: 6.5/10
Softly: 7/10
Hurry Up This Way Again: 5/10
L’Ésprit de Joie (The Spirit of Joy): 8/10
Wise Ol’ Souls: 6/10
Oneness: 6.5/10
Arrival: 6.5/10