We are saddened by the new that jazz and funk fusion musician George Duke has passed away. Duke was at the forefront of an amazing era in music where jazz players were experimenting with new sounds and flavors. He was able to make the shift better than most and his amazing sound will be remembered for generations to come. R.I.P.
More from NPR:
George Duke, the legendary jazz keyboardist, died on Monday, his publicist tells NPR.
Duke’s career spanned five decades and he always straddled the line between disparate genres, collaborating with artists such as Miles Davis, Barry Manilow, Frank Zappa, George Clinton and some of Brazil’s top musicians.
Here’s how NPR’s Felix Contreras describes him:
“He was also a very successful record producer who worked with folks like Gladys Knight, The Pointer Sisters, Anita Baker, Rachelle Ferrell.
“As an instrumentalist he started by working with Sonny Rollins and Dexter Gordon. But he made his mark in the jazz fusion vein, most notably with fellow fusion musicians Stanley Clarke and Billy Cobham. He had a series of respected fusion albums going back to the late 1970’s.
“From the mid ’60s, he also worked as a member of Frank Zappa’s recording and touring band. Most recently he had been a big draw at jazz fests around the world that catered to the mix of R&B and jazz artists.”
Check out this amazing performance of his classic “Dukey Stick’ in studio with Sheila E. and others:
