George Duke - Original Album Classics [5CD Boxset]
5 key Columbia albums from George Duke – presented here in these cool little LP-styled covers, all packaged together in one nicely-priced set! First up is From Me To You – heavily layered work from George, and a record that seems to push all his influences and aspects at once, sometimes getting in the way of each other, but sometimes making for some very nice grooves! The best tunes on the set are those that have a bit of space in them – letting Duke stretch out on the keys in between the notes, or croon in that wispy, spacey style that we always liked best on his MPS albums. Reach For It is a real breakthrough album for George Duke – one of his earliest for the Epic label, and an album that took him from the space funk underground to the top of the jazz charts! The album's got a great sound that mixes together all of Duke's influences – Latin rhythms, electric keyboard funk, and some of the freer jamming styles he picked up in the Bay Area scene! Don't Let Go is a sweet bit of modern funk from George Duke – working here in a mode that's definitely tighter and more soul-based than his trippier albums of the early 70s – but also in a groove that's pretty darn sweet! George wonderfully blends together his jazz roots and some of the wider soul styles he'd helped forge on the California scene – keeping things smooth, but never slick – bringing in some nice acoustic percussion alongside the album's overall electric sound! Follow The Rainbow is smoother than before, and maybe not as much of a jazz album as some of Duke's earlier work – but the album's also got some great smooth modern numbers that follow in an Earth Wind & Fire spiritual soul tradition. Sheila E is in the group, and joins Lynn Davis and Josie James on vocals. Brazilian Love Affair is a record that really moves into some new dimensions for George! Although Duke's music had always had plenty of Brazilian influences – as you can hear on most of his records from the early 70s for MPS – this album brings that sound to the forefront, and even features a number of tunes that Duke recorded in Rio with Brazilian artists like Simone, Milton Nascimento, Roberto Silva, Toninho Horta, and Airto.
George Duke - From Me To You (1977)
01. From Me to You
02. Carry On
03. What Do They Really Fear?
04. 'Scuse Me Miss
05. You and Me
06. Broken Dreams
07. Up on It
08. Seasons
09. Down in It
10. Sing It
George Duke - keyboards,vocals,percussion
Byron Miller - electric bass
Stanley Clarke - electric bass, cello,vocals,guitar
Dianne Reeves - vocals
Leon "Ndugu" Chancler - drums,percussion
Michael Sembello - electric guitar
Julia Tillman Waters - vocals,background vocals
Jessica Smith - vocals,background vocals
Maxine Willard Waters - vocals,background vocals
George Duke - Reach For It (1977)
01. The Beginning 1:52
02. Lemme At It 4:13
03. Hot Fire 5:31
04. Reach For It 4:54
05. Just For You 4:27
06. Omi (Fresh Water) 4:51
07. Searchin' My Mind 3:11
08. Watch Out Baby! 5:25
09. Diamonds 6:45
10. The End 1:07
11. Bring It On Home 4:24
George Duke - keyboards,vocals
Stanley Clarke - bass
Manolo Badrena - percussion,bongos,conga
Leon "Ndugu" Chancler - drums,timbales,Tom-Tom,vocals
Byron Miller - bass,keyboards
Raul De Souza - trombone
Dee Henrichs - vocals
Charles "Icarus" Johnson - guitar,vocals
Michael Sembello - guitar
Deborah Thomas - vocals
Sybil Thomas - vocals
George Duke - Don't Let Go (1978)
01. We Give Our Love 4:33
02. Morning Sun 4:15
03. Percussion Interlude 2:02
04. Dukey Stick 6:07
05. Starting Again 4:29
06. Yeah, We Going 3:41
07. The Way I Feel 4:45
08. Movin’ On 4:22
09. Preface 1:29
10. The Future 3:25
George Duke - keyboards,vocals
Byron Miller - bass
Sheila Escovedo - congas,percussion
Leon Ndugu Chancler - drums,timbales
Charles Johnson - guitar
Josie James - vocals
Napoleon Murphy Brock - vocals
Robald Bautista - rhythm guitar
George Duke - Follow The Rainbow (1979)
01. Party Down 3:09
02. Say That You Will 3:06
03. Funkin' For The Thrill 4:02
04. Sunrise 4:44
05. Festival 6:42
06. I Am For Real 5:19
07. Straight From The Heart 3:53
08. Corine 6:02
09. Pluck 4:48
10. Follow The Rainbow 1:25
George Duke - vocals,Fender Rhodes,Yamaha Electric Grand,Yamaha Grand Piano 9,clavinet,Arp Odyssey,Mini Moog,Oberheim,Prophet,funkosizer,Crumer strings
Larry Williams - alto and tenor saxes,flute
Byron Miller - bass,vocals
Leon "Ndugu" Chancler - drums
Roland Bautiste - electric guitar
Ricky Lawson - drums
Kevin "Serious Biz" Dugan - bass,guitar
Charles Icarus Johnson - guitar
Sheila Escovedo - percussion,vocals
Eric Culver - trombone
Jerry Hey - trumpet,flugelhorn
Josie James - vocals
Lynn Davis - vocals
Napoleon Murphy Brock - vocals
Children Of Distinction - Vocals (Choir) on track 7
George Duke - A Brazilian Love Affair (1979)
01. Brazilian Love Affair
02. Summer Breezin'
03. Cravo E Canela
04. Alone-6AM
05. Brazilian Sugar
06. Sugar Loaf Mountain
07. Love Reborn
08. Up From The Sea It Arose And Ate Rio In One Swift Bite
09. I Need You Now
10. Ao Que Vai Nascer
George Duke - Oberheim,Fender Rhodes,Vibraphone,Moog Synthesizer,vocals,bells
Byron Miller - bass
Flora Purim - vocals
Roberto Silva - drums,agogo,tambur,apito,talking drum
Larry Williams - alto and tenor saxes
William Reichenbach - trombone
Flavio Faria - vocals
Lucinha Lins - vocals
Lucia Turbull - vocals
Ze Luis - vocals
Roland Bautista - electric guitar
Simone - Vocals
Airto Moreira - percussion, surdo,tambourine,shaker
Chico Batera - percussion, rotanton,tambur,ganza,agogo,chekere,triangle,castanets,conga, bongos
Lynn Davis - vocals
Sheila E. - bongos,water chimes,cowbell,caixa,timbales
Jerry Hey - trumpet,flugelhorn
Josie James - Vocals
Jamil Joanes - Bass
Ricky Lawson - drums
Milton Nascimento - vocal,acoustic guitar
Toninho Horta - acoustic and electric guitars
Bill Reichenbach Jr. - trombone
Raul DeSouza - trombone
1977)-From Me To You
1977)-Reach For It
1978)-Don't let go
1979)-Follow The Rainbow
1979)-A Brazillian Love Affair
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