GEORGE
DUKE – COLLECTION
Duke
collaborated with some of the most prominent figures in the industry as a
musician (beginning with Jean-Luc Ponty, Frank Zappa, and Dizzy Gillespie) and
as a producer, crafting dozens of recordings many of them GRAMMY winners.
Starting in the 1980s, Duke produced hits for the likes of Barry Manilow,
Smokey Robinson, the Pointer Sisters, Al Jarreau, Gladys Knight, Anita Baker,
Jeffrey Osborne and Deniece Williams. Busy outside of the studio as well, Duke
took on the role as musical director for several large-scale events, including
the 1988 Nelson Mandela tribute concert at London's Wembley Stadium. The
following year, he served as musical director of NBC's acclaimed late-night
music performance program, Sunday Night. The George Duke Collection focuses on
the versatile artist's time on the Heads-Up label , an era, seemingly, of
reflection: whether Duke found himself returning to his funk roots, employing
his signature synth sounds and vintage techniques in the studio (Déjà Vu), or
paying tribute to his beloved wife, after her passing (Dreamweaver). The
Collection includes plenty of upbeat funk, as well as introspective pieces,
like the autobiographical 'Trippin'.' Famous friends join in too: 'Ball &
Chain' features the late Teena Marie, while Rachelle Ferrell, Wayman Tisdale
and Sheila E. join a handful of other luminaries on these tracks. A compilation
for new and old fans alike, The George Duke Collection finds an artist who was
40 years into his career, yet still riding high on the top of his game when he
left us, much too soon. ~ Amazon
ULTIMATE FREE SOUL BLUE NOTE (VARIOUS ARTISTS)
The
soaring spirit of Blue Note Records – served up here with a really special
twist to fit the mode of the Free Soul series! The package is overflowing with
goodness – four hours' worth of listening, with a special focus on two periods
of the label – that great late 60s/early 70s stretch when they were trying out
so many new ideas and rhythms, including elements borrowed from soul, Latin,
fusion, and Brazilian modes – and the more recent stretch that has seen Blue
Note re-emerge as one of the most forward-thinking labels in jazz! CDs 1 and 2
feature older gems – including "Lover To Lover" by Maxi Anderson,
"Kathy" by Moacir Santos, "As" by Gene Harris,
"Tuesday Heartbreak" by Ronnie Foster, "Harlem River Drive"
by Bobbi Humphrey, "To See A Smile" by Ronnie Foster, "Where Are
We Going" by Donald Byrd, "You're Welcome Stop On By" by Lou
Donaldson, "Save The Children" by Marlena Shaw, "Move Your
Hand" by Lonnie Smith, "In Pursuit Of The 27th Man" by Horace
Silver, "Early Morning Love" by Moacir Santos, "Montara" by
Bobby Hutcherson, and "Stormy" by Duke Pearson. CD3 features newer
work – including "Come To My Door" by Jose James, "Holding Onto
You" by Derrick Hodge, "Maiden Voyage" by Dianne Reeves,
"Praise" by Aaron Parks, "You're Still The One" by Otis
Brown III with Gretchen Parlato, "Ain't Misbehavin" by Jason Moran
with Meshell Ndegeocello, "No Love Dying" by Gregory Porter,
"Afro Blue" by Robert Glasper with Erykah Badu, "Please Set Me
At Ease" by Madlib, and "Won't You Open Up Your Senses" by 4Hero
with Vanessa Freeman. ~ Dusty
Groove
THE BLACKBYRDS - BLACKBYRDS
A funky
jazz treasure – and the band's landmark first album! The Blackbyrds were a
legendary 70s combo that were discovered by Donald Byrd while he was teaching
at Howard University – and they had a tight style that mixed raw funk
influences with smoother jazz playing, creating a sound that was different from
many of their contemporaries, and which pushed funk and soul into a whole new
level. Byrd's work with the band was as groundbreaking as Larry Mizell's work
on his own Blue Note albums – and coincidentally, Larry Mizzell's Sky High
Productions handles the studio chores for the set – but in a way that's much
more sharply funky than his albums with Byrd! Titles include the tight choppy
funk tracks "Do It, Fluid" and "Funky Junkie", plus other
nice groovers like "Summer Love", "Gut Level", and
"The Runaway". ~Dusty Groove
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