George Duke – Feel

Legendary jazz keyboardist George Duke’s first fusion album arrived in 1974 on MPS Records. A valued sideman at this point in his career, Duke had been a key part of Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention, recorded with violinist Jean-Luc Ponty, and also played with the great hard bop saxophonist Cannonball Adderley. By the mid-’70s, Duke would become a star in his own right and a leading figure in the burgeoning electronic jazz fusion scene. On Feel, Duke’s innovative Fender Rhodes playing, lush synthesizer orchestrations, and ear for melody feature alongside an impeccable supporting cast consisting of Flora Purim, Frank Zappa, John Heard, Airto Moreira and Leon “Ndugu” Chancler. All the tracks are great, but the cosmic fusion of “Feel” takes the prize with Duke’s life-affirming vocal soaring above a downtempo groove.

Recommended – Full Listen