By the time Street Player was released in July 1978, the disco era was in full swing and Rufus was poised to take full advantage. They hired the Gap Band’s drummer Moon Calhoun to provide the nimble-footed dance floor beats so beloved by the era’s audiences. Guitarist Tony Maiden takes a turn on lead vocals for the album’s two disco-charged jams, “Street Player” and “Change Your Ways.” Rufus was expert at mustering propulsive dance rhythms, but Street Player is notable for its jazz underpinnings. Besides the virtuosic noodling of “Finale,” check out the shape-shifting arrangements of “Blue Love” and “Destiny,” the latter of which is a sublime Latin-inflected orchestral piece that twirls around Chaka Khan’s lovely vocal like a shawl in the wind. This was Khan’s last album with Rufus before departing for a successful solo career, but she left her band with some sterling parting gifts. “Stranger to Love” is a gentle ballad that turns into a pop sing-along on the chorus, but the real gem is “Stay,” which epitomizes the soulful, sensual chemistry between Chaka and her band.