GEORGE DUKE Schallplatten & CDs

Review: George Duke's imperious legacy as a trailblazer in jazz started its upwards trajectory back when he was in his 20s. As a cursory check of his discography will tell you, his first major solo breaks came around 1970 with his albums for MPS, and they happened due to MPS boss Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer stumbling upon a precociously talented pianist performing with his quartet in 1966. A recording session was set up on the spot, and Duke was propelled to worldwide recognition. This collection combs through the six-album run with MPS and offers up some of the best of the gifted jazz player's work from this breakthrough period in his early career.

Review: 'My Soul' is a jazz-dance giant from George Duke. Jerome Richardson and Luis Gasca also feature on this crucial 7" with the superb funky that is 'Au Right' on the flip. Both of these jams are taken from The Inner Source, a landmark album from George Duke back in 1971. It was way ahead of its time for the way the Duke paired electric experimentation with Latin percussion and African instrumentation. He did so while he was a pianist playing for Cannonball Adderley. This new 45rpm has been taken from the master tapes and pressed at Pallas so sounds superb.

Review: Acclaimed crate-digger turned disco re-editor KON has decided to launch his own reissue imprint, Kontemporary. The idea is simple: to accompany re-mastered original tracks with fresh rubs from the man himself. 12" number one offers another opportunity to enjoy George Duke's soulful, sun-kissed, disco-era jazz-funk bomb "I Want You For Myself". On the A-side you'll find Duke's own impeccable 12" version, with KON's re-edit gracing the B. Having access to the original multi-track tapes has allowed the New York-based producer to not only include an atmospheric, extended intro (a tactic regularly used by fellow rework merchants The Revenge and Joey Negro), but also give more prominence to Duke's superb piano solos.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Record has very light surface marks/smudges with split/tear to spine of outer sleeve, but otherwise in perfect working order***


Acclaimed crate-digger turned disco re-editor KON has decided to launch his own reissue imprint, Kontemporary. The idea is simple: to accompany re-mastered original tracks with fresh rubs from the man himself. 12" number one offers another opportunity to enjoy George Duke's soulful, sun-kissed, disco-era jazz-funk bomb "I Want You For Myself". On the A-side you'll find Duke's own impeccable 12" version, with KON's re-edit gracing the B. Having access to the original multi-track tapes has allowed the New York-based producer to not only include an atmospheric, extended intro (a tactic regularly used by fellow rework merchants The Revenge and Joey Negro), but also give more prominence to Duke's superb piano solos.

Review: ** REPRESS ALERT ** A couple of all time George Duke greats get the official remastered and reissue treatment here. The American songwriting legend's "I Want You for Myself' from 1979 gets a mighty Tom Moulton rework on the A side - which streamlines the essential groove of the original just nicely. On the flip, the sultry late night mood lighting of "Brazilian Love Affair" is funky, soulful and groovy in all the right amounts - the album of the same name from 1980 was hailed as his most popular. Duke was known primarily for thirty-odd solo albums, as well as his collaborations with other musicians - particularly Frank Zappa.

Review: Brilliant summery vocal house bomb on Arch Angel, huge in Ibiza this summer with captivating vocal pads and full vocal, big funky disco bass and a retro Italian piano hook that works so well. Bedrock's Mashtronic turn in a dirtier more underground mix for the prog fans out there with nasty sustained synth bass, and more jazz laden piano parts. Huge tune for Tong.

Review: New 45s label from France drops this tasty little funky disco/boogie 7 inch. ''More Spell On You'' was sampled and used in Daft Punk's legendary "One More Time" whilst George Duke's "I Love You More" intro was also used by the Tron scoring Robot duo on "Digital Love".

Review: Gamm is one of those labels you can always rely on to come through with some dance floor magic. This time out they get Opolopo in to serve up some of his top tweaks. First up he tackle's George Duke's 'Cravo E Canela' and does so with a sunny disposition, plenty of cosmic synth work and dancing drums that are run through with an uplifting spirit. On the flip side of this lush 12" is a tweak of Flora Purim's 'Love Lock,' another majestic jazz-funk groove with conversational leads and a golden sound backed by lush vocals and nice disco-stepping beats.