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What a coup for the 2009 Wayman Tisdale Smooth Jazz Cruise to present the legendary band Rufus. The label "funk band" does not begin to describe the multi-faceted musical legacy of Rufus, the ever-changing interracial group formed in the seventies that launched vocal superstar Chaka Khan. With six gold and/or platinum albums (four of which were #1 R&B charters) and five #1 charting R&B singles (two of which went gold), Rufus' material spanned from the sublime balladry of "Sweet Thing" and "Hollywood" to the hard-thumpin’ grooves of "Ain’t Nobody" and "Tell Me Something Good." Over a total of twelve albums (nine with Chaka), Rufus honed a fierce reputation that resulted in them sharing stages with everyone from Santana and the Commodores to Elton John and the Rolling Stones. Their position in pop history is as among the most versatile soul bands to spring forth from the fertile years of the seventies.
This current renaissance of Rufus sprang from a more personal spiritual reunion of Chaka Khan with former songwriting partner and Rufus band member Tony Maiden. After both had pursued their own artistic endeavors, they longed to get back to making music together the way they used to “back in the day” – through spontaneous collaborations of deeply inspired creative energy. First, they recorded a two-song medley of Rufus classics “Pack’s My Bags/You Got the Love” and composed a brand new song titled “Back In The Day” for Chaka’s 2007 album Funk This, a project that went on to win two Grammy Awards in 2008. From there they called in Kevin Murphy - the founder of Rufus who had already been collaborating with Tony on a documentary about the history of Rufus - to join them for some eagerly-anticipated shows in which they will revitalize the band’s incomparable musical legacy by performing their greatest hits along with album cut classics from their amazing canon of songs. Khan, Maiden and Murphy represent the trinity of organic elements that most clearly define “the Rufus sound.”
Rufus began in Chicago as the evolution of a renegade band of rock-n-soul musicians. The group’s name morphed from Smoke to Ask Rufus to just Rufus. Kevin Murphy - a keyboardist from Minneapolis inspired by Ray Charles, The Rascals' Felix Cavalier and jazz organ greats such as Jimmy Smith - was an original member of this collective who contributed an expansive palette of textures playing organ, clavinet, piano, electric piano and synthesizers. He later co-wrote such Rufus staples as “Everlasting Love,” “Sharing the Love” and “One Million Kisses.”
The group’s future brightened infinitely when original lead singer Paulette McWilliams departed for a solo career, grooming her replacement in a long-time friend - a diminutive yet fiery young singer named Chaka Khan. Chaka had been hanging out with Rufus for at least a year, so when she auditioned she had their show down cold! What she initially brought to Rufus would become one of the most awe-inspiring voices in pop music. Chaka Khan, born Yvette Marie Stevens on the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Illinois, was influenced by instrumentalists like Miles Davis, operas like Madame Butterfly and Billie Holiday (circa Lady in Satin). A one hundred percent original, Khan also co-wrote “Pack’d My Bags,” “Stay” and the R&B #1 hits “You Got The Love,” and "Sweet Thing" - the latter an often-covered million-seller that netted writers Chaka Khan and Tony Maiden an ASCAP Award in 1993 for its enduring popularity and perennial airplay.
Their first album, 1972's self-titled Rufus on ABC Records, didn't bear any hits. But their version of Stevie Wonder's "Maybe Your Baby" led to the song which would truly put Rufus on the map. Wonder was so impressed with their cover that he visited them while they were cutting their second album, Rags to Rufus (1974), and gave them the sexy funk boiler "Tell Me Something Good." It became Rufus' first smash hit - a gold-seller that peaked at #3 on both Billboard®'s R&B and pop charts, and won a Grammy® for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group.
However, after the recording of Rags to Rufus (and before "Tell Me Something Good" became a hit), several of the band members quit. This led to the arrival of another crucial key in Rufus’ history.
Los Angeles-born Tony Maiden, former member of the band High Voltage and an international touring musician with the great Billy Preston, was influenced by jazz pioneer Wes Montgomery, rock god Jimi Hendrix and the king of the blues B.B. King. To Rufus, Tony brought an arsenal of inventive guitar licks, a game male vocal that could hold its own paired with the powerful Chaka, writing skills and a spiritual leadership to the group. Tony’s co-lead vocals are featured on Rufus classics such as “Once You Get Started,” “Do You Love What You Feel”, “Blue Love”, “Master Jam”, “Ain’t That Perculiar”, “Change Your Ways”, and a cover of Bobby Womack’s “(You’re Welcome) Stop On By.” He also co-composed “Sweet Thing” At Midnight”, "Pack'd My Bags," Once You Get Started”, “Dance With Me”, I’m A Women”, "Earth Song,", “Quandry”, and "Magic in Your Eyes.”
Songwriters, arrangers and performers all, the members of Rufus co-produced their next album, Rufusized (1974 - ABC) with Bob Monaco before taking the reigns completely for Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan (1975 - ABC), Ask Rufus (1977 - ABC) and Street Player (1978 -ABC). These albums harness the essence of Rufus' sound via songs that were composed spontaneously in rehearsals. In 1978, Chaka Khan recorded the solo album, Chaka, the first of twelve (to date) while the band recorded Numbers (1979 - ABC), the first of three albums without Chaka that also includes Party 'Til You're Broke (1981 - MCA) and Seal in Red (1983 - Warner Bros.)
Rufus reunited with Chaka under producer Quincy Jones for their final gold-seller, Masterjam (1979 - MCA), featuring the disco smash "Do You Love What You Feel." Rufus & Chaka returned with the Camouflage album (1981 - MCA) and, finally, the double album Stompin' at the Savoy (1983 - Warner Bros.) which featured three sides recorded live at the fabled New York Theatre and one side of four new studio recordings, including "Ain't Nobody," Rufus' final #1 hit which stayed on Billboard®’s R&B chart for 27 weeks.
Among the outstanding musicians that have contributed to the band’s history are Ron Stockert, Dennis Belfield, Al Ciner and Andre’ Fischer from the early years to Bobby Watson, Nate Morgan, Richard “Moon” Calhoun, John “JR” Robinson and David “Hawk” Wolinski .
Representing an enviable level of quality and diversity, Rufus stands tall in the upper echelons of bands that sprang from the fertile period of seventies soul.
For more information see: www.Chakakhan.com / www.Rufus.org
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