Customer Reviews

Duke (Bonus Dvd)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For the past 35 years George Duke has been one of the least predictable jazz,funk and fusion keyboard players around.
And this new album simply titles 'Duke' shows that he hasn't changed.In the past decade and a half Duke's sound,as so many other musicians of his type has been forced to compete with many younger (and often less ambitious) singers and musicians who are more popular then he is.So to get it out of the way that is way modern R&B singer Eric Benet sings on "Somebody's Body",which is redeemed totally by Duke's wonderful piano stylings.Elesewhere this CD is a close to wonderful as Duke has ever been.On "Trust",the pulsating "T-Jam" and the more contemporary "Saturday Night" Duke delivers classic funk in his
own unqiue style,just as he does on the midtempo "I Wanna Know",
proving the man hasn't lost his touch.On "Sausalito" and the equally bouncy "Homeland" that Brazillian percussion gets going from Airto for yet another of Duke's trademarks but here,the tunes have a jazzier,more improvised feel to them.Throughout
'Duke' George is heard on the acoustic piano rather then the fender rhodes or electric piano.Nowhere is this more evident then the uncharacteristically gospel-soul flavor of Stevie Wonder's "Superwoman",a much more upbeat flavor then on Wonder's more stark original.A cover of Burt Baccarach's "In Between The Heartaches" recieves a similar treatment.The most shocking is the 18 minute plus "Hybrids",on which Duke and his merry band work an eerier,Miles Davis-like fusion groove to it's very end.But of course halfway through the tune swings into classic Duke funk mode-the song is an excellent example of why people liked this guy so much to start with.And even when 'Duke' indulges in modern R&B for a few minutes he doesn't sit there too long to screw up even the song.So 'Duke' ends up being a much valued and appreciated addition to George Duke's ever growing collection of albums.And it is certainly always a joy to hear brand new music from him!

It seems very odd to me that when well-established musicians decide they've had enough of the industry's stranglehold on their creativity and make the break to either self-production or independent labels, there invariably is a "critic" who insists the product of that independence is somehow not worthy of airplay or purchase by the general public. Thankfully, there are still some of us who choose to make up our own minds.

I own most of the George Duke discography, and this by far is the most enjoyable music I've heard from him in a long time -- and I don't use the term "music" lightly. I don't claim to be the world's authority on Jazz, Smooth Jazz, or any other title you can come up with, but I am both a musician and music collector who knows music, and this, my friends, is what music is all about. From the laid back grooving of "Saturday Night" to the controlled chaos that is "Hybrid," "Duke" shows a musician at his creative peak, free to record as he wants without the industry bean counters wondering about profit margin.
Thank you, Mr. Duke, for putting the music in front of everything else. For those of you reading this, I say don't pay any attention to my opinion. Buy the CD yourself. If you don't like it, then sell it or trade it (very easy to do these days). If you do like it and appreciate the formidable musicianship of this genius, then put it on repeat like I have it right now.
I say this is a keeper...what about you?

I have listened to not much of anything else since this cd arrived at my home 3 days ago. It was love at first listen. There is a whose who of talent represented on this his latest project. Quite literally there is something for everyone's taste. He harkens back to the days of doo wop with his interpretation of Burt Bacharach and Hal David's, "In Between The Heartaches." "No One" featuring Rachelle Ferrell on lead vocals is breathtaking. I absolutely love everything they do together. On Stevie Wonder's "Superwoman" featuring Eric Benet on vocals, I'll have to admit at first I didn't know what was happening....what an absolutely gorgeous remake. No offense to Eric Benet...the only thing that could have made this a perfect 10 is to have featured Frank McComb on this song. Other standout songs include, "I Wanna Know", "Saturday Night", and "Sausalito." Excellent job! Excellent cd. I hope to be seeing him soon in some city near me.

He calls himself "Big Daddy" and he now creates music under his own label, Big Piano Music. George continues to astound me with his versatility. His second recording "Duke" under the BPM label is yet another example of this man's superior skills as a musician, writer, producer, composer....While I still believe "Face the Music" was the most incredible piece of music I've ever heard, "Duke" is also superb. TRUST is one of those songs you love listening to while driving on the highway as George quickly tickles the ivory to a nice quick beat...I WANNA KNOW is really good, because he displays his wonderful falsetto vocals and his synth along with the lead guitar leaves you wondering which of the two instruments you are really hearing. SUPERWOMAN...I absolutely love the way he reconstructed an already awesome song. It's funny because if you listen carefully the song begins with the sound of the "snap, crackle, and pop" of an old album you would put on the stereo and then it proceeds to a funky jamming beat, then transitions into a nice melodic piano fill then transitions AGAIN to a nice vocal arrangement. Rachel Ferrell is angelic in her vocals on #4; T-JAM is great example of how a real "jam session" sounds...SOMEBODIES BODY has a "Ancient Source" feel to it, with fun vocals; ETC. ETC. HYBRID is what all of us real auditory people dream of hearing....and I could go on forever.

The only thing that is consistent here is the fact that George can play, produce, write and compose music in any and every genre he chooses. He has the ability to combine those different types of music as well. Only Herbie can play a piano as well....! This guy is so talented...it is a shame that so many people have not been exposed to this music. It is unfortunate too that today our children are not exposed to this type of music. He's awesome and "DUKE" was well worth the wait.

Not his finest work, but George rarely disappoints. Put this CD in, lay back, and prepare for a delightful listening experience. Standouts are "Trust" "I Wanna Know" the ever sweet sounds of Rachelle Ferrell on "No One," "Somebody's Body" and "Sausalito." Mr. Duke's chops are still clean, and the fingers haven't lost their gift of tickling the keys. Hardly a waste of your money or listening time.

All that I can say is that George Duke has done it again. This cd is an absolute pleasure to listen and a musician's paradise if you pay close attention to musicality and disregard vocal stuff.

This CD, from track 1 to track 11, is a total listening experience. My wife and I love it!! Favorite tracks are T-Jam ( I first heard this cut on the Smooth Jazz Channel), Somebody's Body and Hybrid. The 'Superwoman' remake is very nice. And the bonus DVD--I love it!! I highly recommend this CD!!

I just got the latest George Duke. It is a shame that his CD was not carried in the stores so I had to order it online. I have to say I have thoroughly enjoyed the CD. He finally went back to a excellent mix of vocals and instrumentals that has marked his great career. His last CD, Face the Music, lost me and I tried to listen to it in its entirety a couple of times but I couldn't. I guess he was experimenting since he was starting his own label. In actually meeting the legend at a friend of mine's music store, it was evident that he was fed up with the powers that be in the music world thus the experimentation. Glad he went back to what made George Duke George Duke.

He has his usual mix of musical characters including Rachelle Ferrell, Howard Hewett, Phil Perry, and Jonathan Butler, all of which have toured with him in the past. His remake of the Stevie Wonder classic Superwoman with Eric Benet doing the vocals was a great listen. The song "Saturday Night" on this CD is one of those feel-good, going out on the town song. If you remember Cameo's We Going Out Tonight" from the early 80's, you know what I am talking about.

If you are looking for some classic Duke that has been MIA, you will find it and more in this CD. The latest Duke project might be even better than the Snapshot CD with his signature classic, No Rhyme No Reason.

The only other CD by George Duke in my collection is "After Hours", which I simply adore. On the whole, smooth jazz isn't really my thing though I will try anything once. I also tend to view jazz artistes who pepper their outputs with covers and guest appearances from mainstream vocalists with suspicion. So when I heard about this release, I was prepared to dismiss it without even giving it a listen.

But a friend who's opinion (and musical tastes) I respect told me to check it out and I'm glad I did. It's not a classic by any means but it's not a bad outing by a man who's obviously good at the piano and also knows a thing or two about good production.

"Trust" and "I Wanna Know" I could do without. Eric Benet (whom I am a huge fan of) shows good form on "Superwoman" and this performance reminds me that many who get to listen to this may not be familiar with the Stevie Wonder original and may want to go check it out. I don't think it's the reason why people do covers but it's often the net result and that can't be a bad thing. The highlight of the album though is "No One" featuring the vocals of Rachelle Ferrell. She's well known for her vocal acrobatics which are an acquired taste in my opinion, but when that woman has her voice put under control, she is pure magic.

"T-Jam" I really like, while "Somebody's Body" I don't really care for either in terms of the song itself or its ethos. "Sausalito" is a summer afternoon delight and another highlight of the album for me. "In Between The Heartaches" is cool. "Hybrids" I don't really get but maybe I will in time and "Homeland" ends the CD on a decent note.

I haven't yet watched the DVD but how bad can that be? All in all, I consider this a decent outing for Mr Duke and confidently give him 4 stars out of 5. (He only scores so highly because the few songs that do it for me on this CD, do it so well).

After 'Face the Music' and the idea behind it (the launch of his own label and the desire to make non commercial music, but just music GD likes himself) I was very eager to hear what he had come up with this time. Especially after experiencing him liv ein concert twice within a year here in Amsterdam.
Face the Music had blown me away, it carried some amazing tunes that I still play frequently and still freak out on it !
It was a bit of bummer to find this new release is far more smooth. In fact the first time I played it I was really dissapointed and thought I was never gonna listen to it again....
Fortunately I played it in my car a few more times, and now that I have heard it some more, it begins to creep upon me.
My end conclusion therefore is: it's great and I love it !!
Especially the R.Kelly rip off-alike Saturday Nite (it's just like Steppin but then with some more chords and a bridge :-)
Really cool dudes ! lol
Keep on doin' yo thang GD !
I'm with you.