Record Reviews

GEORGE DUKE ~ THE 1976 SOLO KEYBOARD ALBUM WOUNDED BIRD 8208 (Barcode: 664140820821) ~ USA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1976 Released: 2004 Keyboards player George DukeFind albums by this artist has always been one of my favorite musicians, mainly due to his phenomenal achievements during the first decade of his career. His early piano trio recordings (mid 1960s), his work with Jean-Luc PontyFind albums by this artist (late 1960s) and finally his stint with Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist (early to mid 1970s) are all examples of pure genius and incredible musical versatility. Unfortunately by the end of the 1970s Duke phased out gradually from his jazz and fusion oriented activities and moved into pop, mostly as a producer. His recordings sine then bear little resemblance to the glory of his early days. During the 1970s Duke recorded a series of revolutionary and groundbreaking albums for the legendary German MPSFind albums on this label label (sadly mostly not available on CD), which showcased his exemplary jazz-rock / fusion wizardry. This album, his first completely solo recording, was the last of these MPS recordings, released under the title “The Dream”. Duke re-mixed the album in 1980 and in 1982 it was released in the US on the EpicFind albums on this label label under this new title. Unavailable for many years, here it is finally back in circulation. The music, all composed by Duke, is a set of beautifully crafted melodies, played by an array of keyboards, sounding like an entire ensemble. Absolutely brilliant and timeless piece of music!

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