George Duke The Inner Source

In 1971 George Duke, having just recently done his time with the Mothers of Invention, was engaged by the Cannonball Adderley Quintet. Beginning in April of that year, Duke made two recordings over a short timespan that on their release in 1973 as a double LP (against the desire of the artists, by the way), would be a major statement. On Chapter One of his fusion autobiography, “Solus”, Duke, along with the skeleton crew of bassist John Heard and drummer Dick Berk, tries out the new compositional philosophy he had absorbed from his work with Adderley. The album was obliged to maintain a jazzy environment, illustrated by the harmonically flowing piano improvisation on “Love Reborn” and the bop-influenced busyness of “The Followers”. But the record also signifies the importance of the keyboards in all their diverse contexts – the funky rock of “Au-right”, and the smoldering, dreamy feel of “Peace”, for instance.

George Duke - My Soul: The Complete MPS Fusion Recordings, 1971-1976 (2008) {4CD BoxSet MPS Remaster}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 1.74 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 688 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 33 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1971-76, 2008 Universal / MPS | 06025 1751504 | 24-bit remaster
Jazz / Fusion / Piano

An amazing package of work from George Duke - 6 of his legendary fusion albums for MPS Records, including the never-reissued double-length set Solus / The Inner Source! That incredible album is worth the price of the package alone - as it begins with some sublime trio work from Duke, rooted in jazz but already stretching out in amazing ways - then moves into some even hipper Latin-styled grooves, with Jerome Richardson on reeds and Luis Gasca on a bit of trumpet! Other albums in the set are equally great - and trace Duke's evolution from straighter jazz into funky freer fusion and soul - an incredible musical shift that's presented on the albums Faces In Reflection, Feel, I Love The Blues She Heard My Cry, The Aura Will Prevail, and Liberated Fantasies - each of them classics in their own right, presented together wonderfully here in this complete MPS package! The set is amazing - with a whopping 64 titles in all, and complete notes on all the music - including some recollections from Duke himself.

Released in 1974, Faces in Reflection was, in many ways, George Duke's third album as a leader for MPS. The first two, Solus and The Inner Source, were recorded separately but issued as a double-LP by SABA, which shortly thereafter ceased doing business and was folded into MPS. That said, there is little resemblance between the man who recorded his early albums like Save the Country, those aforementioned, and the seasoned studio experimentalist who cut Faces in Reflection. Duke's periods with Cannonball Adderley and Frank Zappa (the latter an ongoing relationship; it was Zappa who introduced Duke to the synthesizer) had taught him a ton musically and about working in the studio. The players here include Leon "Ndugu" Chancler and bassist John Heard.

Billy Cobham - Inner Conflicts (1978) {2014 Japan Fusion Best Collection 1000 Series WPCR-28147}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (image)+CUE+LOG -> 279 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 91 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 15 Mb | 5% repair rar | 24-bit remaster
© 1978, 2014 Atlantic / Warner Japan | WPCR-28147
Jazz / Fusion / Jazz Funk

Features 24-bit digital remastering. Comes with a mini-description. A solid effort that has been dismissed based upon its associations with two Cobham lemons, Simplicity of Expression: Depth of Thought and B.C., all recorded around the same time. This recording finds Cobham continuing to explore the funk genre; however, the overall mood here is quite darker and more introspective, similar to Crosswinds.