George Duke Biography
An influential keyboardist who helped to pioneer the use of synthesizers in jazz, George Duke has led a rich and varied career that’s seen him cross over to the mainstream pop and R&B charts, while retaining his stature within the jazz world. The San Rafael, California-born Duke first caught the music bug at the age of four, when his mother took him to a Duke Ellington concert. He found the experience so moving that he insisted on learning to play piano. He began his formal training at the age of seven, played in several jazz groups during his teens, and received a bachelors degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. After college, Duke became a fixture on the Bay Area jazz scene.
Duke recorded his first album at the age of 20, leading a straight-ahead jazz quartet. But he soon took a turn towards synthesizers and fusion, while playing with such artists as Jean-Luc Ponty, Cannonball Adderley, Sonny Rollins and Billy Cobham, and serving a productive stint in Frank Zappa’s band. By the mid-1970s, Duke was recording his own jazz-funk-leaning albums, including such acclaimed sets as From Me to You, Don’t Let Go, Follow the Rainbow, Master of the Game and the tropical-flavored departure A Brazilian Love Affair, featuring contributions from Milton Nascimento, Flora Purim and Airto Moreira. In 1981, Duke teamed with ex-Return to Forever bassist Stanley Clarke to form the fusion supergroup the Clarke-Duke Project.
In the 1980s, Duke began dividing his time between recording his own albums, playing on other artists’ sessions, and pursuing his increasingly successful career as a record producer for a variety of R&B and pop acts, including Jeffrey Osborne, Philip Bailey, Shalamar, Stephanie Mills, Deneice Williams and Dianne Reeves. As a producer, Duke also oversaw several jazz projects, including releases by Miles Davis and Steps Ahead, as well as old friends Al Jarreau and Billy Cobham. He also worked as musical director for such events as the 1988 Nelson Mandela tribute concert at London’s Wembley Stadium, and has written and recorded music scores for several feature films.
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