In the late '70s, Grace Jones was a living rebuttal to the popular notion that disco was a culture of monotony, soullessness, and corporate cynicism. By the time her debut album arrived in 1977, Jones had already traveled the world as a model and become a symbol of all that was strange and vivacious about the decade’s underground nightlife. Rather than offer a repetitive form of pop music, Portfolio embodies all the profound emotional and cultural diversity of the early underground disco clubs, before the culture was co-opted and stereotyped by the mainstream. With her covers of “Send in the Clowns” and “La Vie en Rose,” Jones positioned herself as an heir to the great cabaret entertainers of the Weimar Republic and the Moulin Rouge. She found a great benefactor in producer Tom Moulton, who brought rich textures and genuine musical dynamism to disco production. In a genre best known for singles, Portfolio stands as a rare album-length statement of integrity and personal conviction. Plus, it still makes for a great party.