George Duke profile
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Keyboard legend George Duke has a list of musical credentials as-long-as your arm, that for the record includes starting life as Al Jarreau’s pianist, kicking jazz fusion into gear with Jean-Luc Ponty, getting freaky with Zappa’s Mothers Of Invention circa 1970 before turning it loose with Cannonball Adderley,
followed by Sonny Rollins, and just before going solo establishing a life-long rapport with bass legend Stanley Clarke, he's pretty much done it all. Foregoing the extensive touring of his peers Duke in recent times has upped the recording schedule and started to get back out on the road with recent album ‘Face The Music’ a good example of the man’s many musical influences.
It seems he’s enjoyed being back in London after so many years away he declared on his second visit in 2004; “This is like my front room, welcome to my house!” setting the tone for a night of incredible music making, the band on fire and Duke’s creative cup overflowing. The spookiest moment amongst the colossal, block-rocking funk, (aside from a magical two minutes of Zappa’s ‘Cosmic Debris’), was an improvised ‘symphony’ that Duke conjured from his keyboard in a moment of solo inspiration, leaving both his keyboard player and female singer in tears, such was its emotional power. Rounding the night off by inviting a string of young jazzers (including the not-so-young but extremely good Geoff Eales) to play his piano on the encore, Duke is obviously enjoying the experience of making music in the 21st century just as much as the crowd. A simply stunning live performer and master musician – let’s hope he starts making the classic albums once more as well.
It seems he’s enjoyed being back in London after so many years away he declared on his second visit in 2004; “This is like my front room, welcome to my house!” setting the tone for a night of incredible music making, the band on fire and Duke’s creative cup overflowing. The spookiest moment amongst the colossal, block-rocking funk, (aside from a magical two minutes of Zappa’s ‘Cosmic Debris’), was an improvised ‘symphony’ that Duke conjured from his keyboard in a moment of solo inspiration, leaving both his keyboard player and female singer in tears, such was its emotional power. Rounding the night off by inviting a string of young jazzers (including the not-so-young but extremely good Geoff Eales) to play his piano on the encore, Duke is obviously enjoying the experience of making music in the 21st century just as much as the crowd. A simply stunning live performer and master musician – let’s hope he starts making the classic albums once more as well.