RIP George Duke. I gave this record a few tribute spins when I found out Mr. Duke had passed away earlier this summer. One of the best Synthesizer players of all time, as well as piano and fender rhodes. He certainly is missed.
I got this record many moons ago when my gateway into jazz music was through Jazz fusion. One of the first youtube videos I remember watching over and over is the live performance of "Al Mustafa the Beloved"
Alphonso Johnson is surely a very underrated bassist, and on this track he plays a unique instrument called the Chapman Stick. When I found this record (I think at the same place I got John Abercrombie's Timeless), I saw it had "Al Mustafa" on it. There is a very confident, undeniably funky groove on the track.
The cover is crazy; a caricature of Duke and Cobham, but their bodies are gigantic hands...
I love this album, but it is more of a nostalgic record that I get out every once in awhile to relive my fusion days. There is a young John Scofield on this record (is this his first major recording?)
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