'Reach For It' - The Genius of George Duke

PizzaExpress Jazz Club (Soho)

'Reach For It - the genius of George Duke' is a musical celebration of the master keyboardist, singer, composer, all-round genius and great guy - George Duke. 

Tracing his work from the Zappa years as a key member of the Mothers through a glittering multi-album solo career, his heavyweight collaborations (Stanley Clarke, Billy Cobham, et al) and Montreux triumphs, Dukey's music provides a fantastic melodic canvas for these top players to express themselves. Expect impeccable ensemble musicianship of the highest order - fab funk, groovy jazz and Brazilian vibes with masterful soloing to take the breath away! 

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George Duke was  a Jazz-funk keyboard star of the 70s who became a hit-making music producer

The George Duke credit turns up in the small print of countless jazz, soul and R&B records – he played with Michael Jackson, Airto, David Axelrod, Chaka Khan, Flora Purim, Shuggie Otis, Sonny Rollins, Nancy Wilson and hundreds more.

Duke was a member of several jazz-fusion supergroups, including a band with the former Mahavishnu Orchestra drummer Billy Cobham and a power trio with the bassist Stanley Clarke.

The success of Duke's album Reach For It (1977) attracted a more funk- and R&B-oriented audience to his gigs, and eventually enabled him to develop a parallel career as a hit-making producer – he made albums with Dee Dee Bridgewater, the duo A Taste of Honey, Jeffrey Osborne, Deniece Williams and many more artists, including Take 6 and his cousin Dianne Reeves.

 

 

Band Lineup

Carl Hudson - keyboards (Leroy Hutson, Sister Sledge, Dexter Wansel, PB Underground)
Tim Cansfield - guitar (Bee Gees, Stevie Winwood, Seal, Swing Out Sister)
Phil Mulford - bass (Beyonce, Kylie Minogue, Mick Hucknall, Tom Jones, Chaka Khan, Annie Lennox)
Karlos Edwards - percussion/vocals (Robert Palmer, Prefab Sprout, Brand New Heavies, Nitin Sawhney)
Geoff Dunn - drums (Van Morrison, Incognito, Joe Cocker, Donna Summer)
Guest Vocalist TBC