THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 8, 1995 TAG: 9503080088
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUE SMALLWOOD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
GEORGE DUKE'S music springs from a variety of musical roots.
He launched his recording career in the early '70s as a jazz keyboardist with Jean-Luc Ponty, later joined rock satirist Frank Zappa, then switched to a funk-based sound with his collaborations with drummer Billy Cobham and bass virtuoso Stanley Clarke.
``That's always been my problem,'' Duke said with a laugh during a recent tour stop in Boston. ``I like so many different things, I sort of consider my music almost a gumbo. That's probably contributed to my longevity, but at the same time, it's probably made me harder to understand among the public.''
Duke brings that sound to Chrysler Hall on Thursday with Jazz Explosion II, an all-star ensemble featuring Phil Perry, George Howard, Dianne Reeves and Sheila E.
Duke's music may defy facile categorization, but his easy blending of esoteric jazz and street-wise sounds has made him quite accessible to a mainstream audience. His 1992 record, ``Snapshot,'' hovered at the top of the jazz charts for many weeks and generated a Top 10 R&B single, ``No Rhyme, No Reason.''
``It's not like I'm deliberately trying to make a smorgasbord,'' Duke explained of his eclecticism. ``I'm just doing music that I love.''
One of Duke's favorite tracks from his new album, ``Illusions,'' is ``So I'll Pretend,'' ``a smoky jazz tune'' sung by his cousin Dianne Reeves. It's an elegant piece in standard acoustic jazz style.
``I had a vision in my mind of this lady sitting there with this guy and she was just talking to him,'' Duke said. ``When I first wrote it, I said, `Man, this sounds like Tony Bennett,' which is great - he just won a Grammy. But I sent it to (Dianne), she loved it, she came down and we did all of that in one take. Funny thing is, it set the tone for her new album, which I just produced.''
Duke is also a sought-after producer with a mile-long resume that includes Miles Davis, Al Jarreau, Smokey Robinson, Jeffrey Osborne, Gladys Knight, Barry Manilow, Keith Washington, Deniece Williams and Anita Baker.
Duke's production and performance interests parallel the wide career path of one of his early mentors, Quincy Jones.
``I sort of consider myself a little Quincy Jones now,'' Duke chuckled. ``I love the guy. In my early days, he really gave me a shot to play when I might not have gotten any sessions. He allowed me to play with Michael Jackson, he was the big producer on the block. He's so good for music because he gives guys chances that they might not get otherwise.''
Duke credits Jones with taking a chance on the his first major orchestral piece, ``Muir Woods Suite,'' which Jones placed on the bill at last year's Montreux Jazz Festival. Duke plans to tour the nation's orchestras with the suite after its recorded release next year.
Duke also considers the late Frank Zappa another mentor and major influence, describing him as ``the closest thing to genius that I know of. He was very sarcastic. Toward the end of his life I thought he became sort of vindictive. And he was an unbelievable perfectionist. Rehearsals were very, very tough. That music was hard, some of the toughest stuff that I've ever had to play.
``But during the early days, he gave me a sense of humor. He's the first one that got me involved in singing in front of an audience, the first one that got me to play synthesizers. He's the first one that got me out of being so serious in my attitude.'' MEMO: CONCERT FACTS
What: Jazz Explosion II, with George Duke, Phil Perry, George Howard,
Dianne Reeves and Sheila E.
When: 8 p.m. Thursday
Where: Chrysler Hall, Norfolk
Tickets: $25 advance, $27.50 at the door. To order, call 671-8100. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by BOBBY HOLLAND, Warner Bros.
George Duke will play Thursday at Chrysler Hall.
by CNB