George Duke George Duke

The list of heavyweights who join George Duke on 1975's I Love the Blues: She Heard My Cry is impressive – some of the participants include Johnny "Guitar" Watson, singer Flora Purim, percussionist Airto Moreira, guitarist Lee Ritenour, drummer Leon "Ndugu" Chancler, and guitarist George Johnson (of Brothers Johnson fame). With such a cast, one would expect this 1975 LP to be outstanding, which it isn't. But it's a respectable effort that thrives on diversity.

George Duke - Faces In Reflection (1974) {Verve Originals B0011514-02 rel 2008}
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© 1974, 2008 MPS / Verve | B0011514-02 | Verve Originals Series
Jazz / Soul Jazz / Jazz Funk / Keyboards

Killer keyboards from the legendary George Duke – and one of his most righteous albums for the MPS label! The album's a spectacular set that showcases both sides of Duke's genius at the time – his spacey, soulful approach to a laidback tune – and his more jamming styles on the harder cuts! Instrumentation is somewhat spare – just keyboards and piano from George, who also sings a bit – plus Ndugu Chancler on drums and John Heard on bass – both playing with a freely creative energy that's definitely motivated by Duke. There's a beautiful mix of electricity and acoustic warmth on the set – never too forced, and clearly an inspiration for countless players in years to come – maybe even more so than Herbie Hancock's work of the time. Drums are great too – and snap tightly for plenty of nice breaks on the set – which are in turn augmented by mellower keys from Duke, who also sings with a sweetly electric soul style.

"A Brazilian Love Affair" is a labor of love, something I have believed in for a long time but have not had the means to bring to life until now. It is not a pure Brazilian recording bur rather a blend of Brazilian musical concepts with the diverse musical ideas of my mind. For most of the selections, I have intermixed Brazilian artists with American artists to archieve a true fusion of the styles. ~ George Duke

The Essential George Duke is a double-disc, 31-track set documenting George Duke's years with Epic between 1977 and 1984 that netted an astonishing 11 albums, and the third Stanley Clarke/Duke project disc recorded in 1990. These were the years that Duke – never a jazz purist anyway – decided to take a tough swing at the R&B charts. He succeeded.

The Sony/BMG Original Album Classics series brings together 5 CD's of rare and out of print titles with some best sellers from the Sony/BMG Rock catalog. Many of these albums have been unavailable on CD for some time and are sought after by collectors. Each set is presented in a high quality, rigid cardboard slipcase containing five vinyl replica mini LP sleeves. This 5 CD collection of original releases featuring George Duke includes the albums From Me To You, Reach For It, Don't Let Go, Follow The Rainbow, and A Brazilian Love Affair.

Liberated Fantasies is the eighth studio album by American keyboardist George Duke. It was recorded and mixed by Kerry McNabb at Paramount Recording Studios in Hollywood, California in 1976 and released through MPS Records, making it Duke's seventh and final album for the label. The album features contributions from Alphonso Johnson and Leon "Ndugu" Chancler with guest appearances from several musicians, including vocalist Napoleon Murphy Brock, guitarist Daryl Stuermer, percussionists Airto Moreira and Emil Richards. The closing album in this MPS box set continues George Duke’s tendency to couple his fusion world with accessible R&B songs. Once again he shows a discernable vocal development. In Tryin’ And Cryin the Californian together with rock singer Napoleon Brock overlay multiple vocal tracks.

Unofficial release of George Duke and Stanley Clarke together with the drummer Leon Ndugu Chancler, recorded at live at Jazz Festival Montreux in 1988 and released by the label Jazz Door in 1993.

Deja Vu is 2010's bookend to 2008's Dukey Treats. That record explored George Duke's funk roots and channeled everything from Earth, Wind & Fire to P-Funk, artists who inspired his own successful run of funk outings. Deja Vu revisits Duke's love of electric funky jazz. Here he recalls some of the production and musical techniques he employed in the '70s. Along with playing a load of synths (mono and analog), Rhodes and Wurlitzer electric pianos, clavinet, acoustic piano, and even miniMoog bass are in abundance, too. The production is pure retro; compared to the contemporary jazz recordings of the 21st century, Deja Vu sounds almost organic.