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.