George Duke Promises A
New CD for September 2008
The contemporary jazz label "Heads Up International" has recently signed   an exclusive recording agreement with keyboardist/composer George Duke and his Big Piano Music record label. More below.

 

 

 

 
     
 

An enduring figure in straight-ahead jazz, jazz fusion, R&B and funk since the 1960s, Duke will make his Heads Up debut with a yet-to-be-titled album scheduled for release in September 2008.  

The scope of George Duke's imprint on jazz and pop music over the past forty years is almost impossible to calculate. Duke has collaborated with some of the most prominent figures in the industry. A producer since the 1980s, he has crafted scores of fine recordings – many of them Grammy winners – for artists representing almost every corner of the contemporary American music landscape.  
 
 
  
   


"I'm very excited to have George on board," says Dave Love, President of Heads Up International. "He brings with him a lifetime of innovation and excellence, and a resume that includes collaborations with some of the biggest names in jazz, funk, rock and pop. There's an unprecedented artistic synergy at Heads Up, thanks to the many high-profile artists currently on the label, and George's presence and contribution is certain to push that synergy to an even greater intensity."   
 
"I'm very happy to be part of this new association with Heads Up," says Duke, who is currently in the studio crafting the new album. "There's a huge audience that's interested in the music of more mature artists, and music that has a little more depth than what you might find elsewhere. I look forward to working with Dave and his team on all of the productions for BPM as I believe that's what Heads Up is all about."  
 
  
George Duke entered the jazz scene in the 1960s as a pianist in a straight-ahead trio in San Francisco. By the end of the decade, he had begun exploring more progressive avenues by recording with the likes of Jean-Luc Ponty and Frank Zappa. In the '70s, he worked with an array of artists: Cannonball Adderley, Sonny Rollins, Billy Cobham, Michael Jackson, Stanley Clarke and many others. By the '80s, he had shifted his emphasis to producing – Dee Dee Bridgewater, Melissa Manchester, Take 6, Anita Baker, Natalie Cole and more – yet still maintained a solo discography of his own. He has also composed music for numerous motion picture and television projects, and has maintained a consistent presence on the Billboard charts since the mid-'70s. He has scored six Grammy nominations for solo recordings, and has produced numerous albums for other artists that have been GRAMMY winners. 

This still untitled album promises to be a return to the funk sensibilities he originally explored in the late '70s – the kind that successfully combined energy, fun and thematic substance. To date, the guest list includes Bootsy Collins, Jill Scott, Howard Hewett and Teena Marie. Additional high-profile funksters – old-school and newcomer alike – are likely to get on board before the sessions are complete.  

"This is probably going to be the biggest record I've done in a long time," Duke predicts. "I'm trying to get back to the kind of message that was being delivered in the '60s. If you look back at Sly Stone or James Brown, those guys delivered positive, uplifting messages. That's what this record will be about. There will be some political statements made, some other issues addressed, but all in  a positive way. I really want this to be a record that people love." – by Akbar Nour

Smooth Jazz Goes Cruising Crazy
February 21, 2005 - Seems like everyone is cruising these days. Smooth Jazz Cruise pioneer Warren Hill has just completed his second sell out full charter while, almost at the same time, Bob James was sailing on a musical journey out of San Diego. Later in the year Rick Braun is leading a top-notch line up on a seven-day trip out of Galveston and Warren Hill's 2006 event is already proving to be a big early seller. Sandwiched among all this is the "Dave Koz & Friends At Sea" cruise that sails from San Diego on November 5 and is being managed by the same organization that made Hills last event such a success. Calling at destinations that include Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas and Peurto Vallarta, Koz has assembled a line up every bit as good as one would expect from this master of live Smooth Jazz. Artists already confirmed, and who performed on the Hill cruise, are Wayman Tisdale, Kirk Whalum, Jeff Golub, and Jonathan Butler. Joining them will be Marc Antoine, Patti Austin, David Benoit, Chris Botti, George Duke, Jeffrey Osborne and Praful. It's a line up that promises to produce seven days of high quality Smooth Jazz. - By Denis Poole