George Duke | DreamWeaver

George Duke | DreamWeaver Concord Records by Peggy Oliver

Those who make a living creating off the cuff are entitled with an occasional moment of writer’s block. And in their strong devotion to the art, they usually find their way back to fill up their creative cup. Jazz icon George Duke recently faced that dreaded drought. In 2012, his compositional well temporarily ran dry as he was experiencing deep grief from the loss of his wife, Corine. The death was undoubtedly bittersweet, but in an almost blink of an eye, Duke returned to his musical refuge that he has embraced since childhood.

Duke’s musicality took shape while growing up in the California Bay Area as a student, teacher and house band musician with Al Jarreau and armed with an arsenal of jazz greats from Sonny Rollins to Les McCann. While Duke possesses jazz genes, he collaborated with eclectic guitarist/composer Frank Zappa. The pop, Brazilian & R&B world, especially during the seventies and eighties, was blessed with Duke’s production wizardry for Deniece Williams, Milton Nascimento and the (Stanley) Clarke/Duke Project. His astounding solo artistry ranged from contemporary urban to jazz fusion and jazz concept pieces (The Muir Woods Suite). For his latest work, Dreamweaver, Duke shares his undeniable gift for music with fond remembrances of his wife, Corinne.

Dreamweaver opens with the modern jazz of “Stones of Orion,” flowing with the dynamic duo of Duke’s majestic acoustic piano and Clarke’s nimble bass work. “Trippin’ provides a warm neo-soul reminiscence of his jazz heroes, topped with trumpet and saxophone frosting.

Duke’s connection to Brazilian music is extremely well represented. “Jazzmatazz” feeds off Latin grooves throughout this Quincy Jones-like extravaganza. “You Never Know” is a more laid-back pop/jazz mix about handling life’s lessons and moving on from the grief. On the other extreme, “Brown Sneakers” sizzles in a fusion stew of spacey synthesizers, flamingo electric guitar and muscular Latin percussion.

Besides paying homage to his wife, two performances of special note showcase recently passed talents. “Ball and Chain” by the always compelling Teena Marie weaves her trademark R&B sass into a contemporary jazz mold. The other belongs to session guitarist Jef Lee Johnson with his psychedelic soul/rock perspective for the fifteen minute suite entitled “Burnt Sausage Jam.” Of course, the loving tributes to Duke’s wife are heartfelt sans the saccharine. The original composition, “Missing You,” honors Corine in a subtle way: “The moments that I love/ Flow like a river run free/And let it fly like a bird in the sky/Above the mountaintops so high…” Then there is Roy Rogers and Dale Evans’ signature song, “Happy Trails,” fined tuned from a cowboy movie closer to a slow blues/gospel jam with wah wah guitar.

The aforementioned on Dreamweaver are the most worthy listens, but the remaining cuts like the Caribbean flavored “Change the World” with an all-star vocal cast and the funk-dipped “Ash Tray” are no slouches. In essence, Duke’s dedication to his craft and his lady love are justifiable reasons in keeping the writer’s block away. Five out of five stars.

Peggy Oliver
The Urban Music Scene.com