Patti Austin (born August 10, 1950) is an American Grammy-winning R&B and jazz music singer.
Austin was born in Harlem, New York. She made her debut at the Apollo Theater at age four and had a contract with RCA Records when she was only five. Quincy Jones and Dinah Washington have proclaimed themselves as her godparents.
Phyllis Linda Hyman (July 6, 1949 – June 30, 1995) was an American soul singer and actress.
Phyllis Hyman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up in the St. Clair Village, the South Hills section of Pittsburgh. After leaving Pittsburgh, her music training started with a scholarship to a music school. On graduation, she performed on a national tour with the group New Direction in 1971. After the group disbanded, she joined All the People and worked with another local group, The Hondo Beat. At this time, she appeared in the film Lenny (1974). She also did a two-year stint leading a band called Phyllis Hyman and the P/H Factor. Hyman was discovered in 1975 by internationally known pop artist and music industry veteran Sid Maurer, and former Epic Records promoter Fred Frank, and signed to their Roadshow Records/Desert Moon imprint. Hyman moved to New York City to work on her reputation. She did background vocals on Jon Lucien's Premonition and worked in clubs. It was during one of these performances that she was spotted by Norman Connors, who offered her a spot as a vocalist on his album, You Are My Starship (1976). The duo scored on the R&B charts with a remake of The Stylistics' "Betcha by Golly Wow!".
Hyman sang with Pharoah Sanders and the Fatback Band while working on her first solo album, Phyllis Hyman, released in 1977 on the Buddah Records label. When Arista Records bought Buddha, she was transferred to that label. Her first album for Arista, Somewhere in My Lifetime, was released in 1978; the title track was produced by then-labelmate Barry Manilow. Her follow-up album, You Know How to Love Me, made the R&B Top 20 and also performed well on the club–dance charts. In the late 1970s, Hyman married her manager Larry Alexander (who is the brother of Jamaican pianist and melodica player Monty Alexander), but both the personal and professional associations ended in divorce. Alexander introduced Hyman to cocaine, which led to a life-long dependency and spent a lot of her money during the years. The relationship was tumultuous to say the least.[citation needed] Hyman's first solo Top Ten hit came in 1981 with "Can't We Fall In Love Again", a duet with Michael Henderson. The song was recorded while she was performing in the Broadway musical Sophisticated Ladies, a tribute to Duke Ellington. She performed in the role for almost two years, receiving a Tony Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical and winning a Theatre World Award for Best Newcomer. Problems between Hyman and her label, Arista, caused a pause in her recording career. She used the time to appear on movie soundtracks, television commercials and guest vocals, working with Chuck Mangione, The Whispers and The Four Tops. Hyman provided vocals for three tracks on jazz pianist McCoy Tyner's Looking Out (1982). She toured often and did a college lecture tour. In 1983, Hyman recorded the song "Never Say Never Again" as the title song for the James Bond movie of the same name, written by Stephen Forsyth and Jim Ryan. However, Warner Brothers informed Forsyth that Michel Legrand, who wrote the score for the film, had threatened to sue them, claiming he contractually had the rights to the title song. An alternate title song composed by Legrand was eventually used for the film and performed by singer Lani Hall, formerly of Sérgio Mendes and Brasil '66. Free from Arista in 1985, she released the album, Living All Alone on Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff's Philadelphia International label the following year, capitalizing on the torch songs, "Old Friend" and the melancholy title track, as well as "You Just Don't Know" and "Screaming at the Moon". Shortly afterwards, she appeared in the films School Daze and The Kill Reflex. She would also continue to lend her voice to albums for other artists and musicians like Grover Washington, Jr. and Lonnie Liston Smith, while at the same time doing international tours. Her next album, again on Philadelphia International, called Prime of My Life, released in 1991, was the biggest of her career. It included her first number one R&B hit as well as her first Billboard Top 100 hit, "Don't Wanna Change the World". The album provided two more top 10 R&B singles in "Living in Confusion" and "When You Get Right Down to It", and the less successful "I Found Love". Just over a year later, she appeared one last time on a Norman Connors album, singing the title song, "Remember Who You Are", which became a minor R&B hit. Prime of My Life has sold 454,000 copies to date. The album and debut single were both RIAA certified Gold in 1992. Hyman's last album, I Refuse to Be Lonely, was a journey into her personal life. Both the title track and the single "I'm Truly Yours" became minor R&B hits.
Born in Washington D.C., Wornell Jones grew up in the neighbourhoods of the area. As a youngster, Wornell was always playing, singing or doing something musical. After playing in local bands in D.C., Wornell began undertaking studio sessions in the early seventies for soul artists including Millie Jackson, Joe Simon, and other groups and artists.
Wornell began to tour with the likes of Sly and the Family Stone, Eddie Kendricks and KoKo Taylor. He then began to write for many artists including The Pointer Sisters and Earth, Wind & Fire.
In 1979, he released his self titled album for Paradise Records. The album contained the track 'Must Have Been Love', which was highly popular in the U.K. The female co-vocalist on the song was Maxayn Lewis Moriguchi, who still collaborates with Wornell to this day. Wornell has also worked with songwriter and guitarist, Nils Lofgren formally of the E Street Band.
He recorded and toured extensively with Nils, until moving to Tokyo, Japan in 1992. Wornell has an excellent portfolio of songwiting credits which include, The Pointer Sisters 'Black & White', Ramsey Lewis 'Three Piece Suite', Maria Muldaur 'Open Your Eyes', Rufus 'Sealed In Red', B.T. Express '1980', Rockie Robbins 'Rockie Robbins' and Earth, Wind & Fire 'The Eternal Dance'. He is a good friend of the artist Art Madison
Rose Royce is an American soul and R&B band. The group is best known for several hit singles including "Car Wash," "I Wanna Get Next to You," "Wishing on a Star", "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" and "I'm Going Down".
One of the most underrated soul producers of the '70s, multi-talented producer/singer/songwriter/instrumentalistLeroy Hutsonbegan his career in various vocal groups around his hometown of Newark, NJ, in the '60s, but saw his early success as a co-writer for Howard University roommateDonny Hathaway's 1970 hit single "The Ghetto."Hutsonwould later replaceCurtis Mayfieldin 1971 as the lead singer in the Impressions and stayed with them until 1973, when he followed inMayfield's footsteps and launched his own solo career. His smooth, imaginative productions set the bar very high for everyone at the label (including its owner) to follow suit. Although his lyrics were not as politically fueled asMayfield's,Hutson's love-inspired songs were responsible for a string of mid-'70s classics for which he and Curtom are best known. While he would enjoy the commercial success during a string of albums in the mid- to late '70s, he also lent his production and songwriting skills to several labelmates, including the Natural Four. After the closing of Curtom Records in 1980,Hutson's career diminished into obscurity with the exception of 1982's jazz-funk-tingedParadise. However, he has maintained a strong cult following among soul collectors to this day, and in 2000 Sequel Records had the good sense to reissue not only the original albums on CD but a two-disc anthology spanning the greatest hits of his career .
Though the Sugarhill Gang inaugurated the history of recorded hip-hop with their single "Rapper's Delight," a multi-platinum seller and radio hit in 1979, the group was cooked up to cash in on a supposed novelty item. Music-industry producer and label-owner Sylvia Robinson had become aware of the massive hip-hop block parties occurring around the New York area during the late '70s, so she gathered three local rappers (Master Gee, Wonder Mike, and Big Bank Hank) to record a single. Infectious and catchy, "Rapper's Delight" borrowed the break from Chic's "Good Times" and became a worldwide hit, eventually selling more than eight million copies. Most industry people figured rap for a short-lived trend, and though they were dead wrong, the Sugarhill Gang certainly didn't carry the torch; despite several modest hits ("8th Wonder," "Apache") the trio faded quickly and was gone by the mid-'80s, only returning in 1999 with Jump on It, a rap album for children.
Born Edward W. Robbins, Jr. in Minneapolis, balladeer Rockie Robbins began singing at an early age. Working with famed arranger/producers Richard Evans (Natalie Cole, Peabo Bryson) and Johnny Pate (Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions, Lonette McKee, OKeh Records), Robbins made an impressive debut on his self-titled LP, which was released in the spring of 1979 on A&M Records. The ballad singles "If I Ever Lose You" and a cover of EWF's "Be Ever Wonderful" received a lot of radio airplay but weren't big sellers, although "Be Ever Wonderful" charted at number 67 R&B in late 1979. Another impressive fact is that the record was even made, as the original session tapes were somehow erased while en route from the recording studio to the record company. Although Rockie Robbins wasn't a major seller, A&M believed in Robbins and kept him as an artist. Teaming with producer/arranger Bobby Martin -- whose previous credits including arranging a slew of hits for Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International Records and fellow A&M signees LTD with lead singer Jeffrey Osborne -- Robbins' second LP, You and Me, was issued the spring of 1980. The title track went to number nine R&B. The next single, the danceable, inspiring "Hang Tough," made it to number 70 R&B. Robbins' other A&M singles were "After Loving You," "Time to Think," and "I Believe in Love" (all were moderate hits). Switching to MCA Records, Robbins earned the distinction (like Loleatta Holloway and Ronnie McNeir, among others) of having two self-titled LPs in his catalog. The MCA LP was released in early 1985 and there was one charting single around the time of its release ("We Belong Together") .
Born Edward W. Robbins, Jr. in Minneapolis, Rockie Robbins began singing at an early age. Working with famed arranger/producers Richard Evans (Natalie Cole, Peabo Bryson) and Johnny Pate (Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions, Lonette McKee, OKeh Records), Robbins made an impressive debut on his self-titled LP, which was released in the spring of 1979 on A&M Records. The ballad singles "If I Ever Lose You" and a cover of EWF's "Be Ever Wonderful" received a lot of radio airplay but weren't big sellers, although "Be Ever Wonderful" charted at number 67 R&B in late 1979. Another impressive fact is that the record was even made, as the original session tapes were somehow erased while en route from the recording studio to the record company. Although Rockie Robbins wasn't a major seller, A&M believed in Robbins and kept him as an artist. Teaming with producer/arranger Bobby Martin -- whose previous credits including arranging a slew of hits for Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International Records and fellow A&M signees LTD with lead singer Jeffrey Osborne -- Robbins' second LP, You and Me, was issued the spring of 1980. The title track went to number nine R&B. The next single, the danceable, inspiring "Hang Tough," made it to number 70 R&B. The album also contained "Together", "I Never Knew" & "Point Of View". 1981 saw the release of Rockie's final album for A&M records - "I Believe in Love", which featured Soul favourties "An Act of Love", "Time to Think" & "Nothing Like Love". Switching to MCA Records, Robbins earned the distinction (like Loleatta Holloway and Ronnie McNeir, among others) of having two self-titled LPs in his catalog. The MCA LP was released in early 1985, and contained several Soul/Boogie favourites; "You Finally Found The One", "Caught In The Act", "I Got Your Number" & "We Belong Together".
Formed in 1972, the band has had a few name changes in its history. Originally they called themselves Pipeline but they changed their name to the Jam by the mid-'70s. In 1977 they changed their name again as the British punk band The Jam became a sensation; their new name was Universal Robot Band. In 1979 they signed to Atlantic Records using the name Kleeer. Becoming a cult band in the UK and US they enjoyed a string of hits in the R&B Charts. In the US national charts they had 3 top 40 entries, they had 2 in the top 50 in the UK, the only one both sides of the water being "Get Tough" although "Keep That Body Working" is the track that they are remembered for.
U.K. funk band Light of the World has the distinctions of having a tight head shot of a pre-stardom Sade on their self-titled debut LP cover and having guitarist Jean Paul "Bluey" Maunick as a band member. Maunick went on to lead '90s funk-jazz band Incognito.
Formed in London in 1978, Light of the World included Maunick, drummer Everton McCalla, bassist Paul "Tubs" Williams, guitarist Neville "Breeze" McKreith, percussionist Chris Etienne, keyboardist Peter Hinds trumpet playerKenny Wellington and on sax David "Baps" Baptiste. The band's moniker was inspired by the title of Kool and the Gang's 1974 DeLite album Light of Worlds, which included "Summer Madness" and "Higher Plane." Signing with Ensign Records, the band had dancefloor hits with "Swingin'," "Midnight Groovin'," and "London Town." Etienne died while the band was on a promotional tour for their first album. A 12" single "Time" (Remix) b/w "London Town" was reissued by U.K. label Old Gold. Nigel Martinez, Gee Bello, and Nat Augustin joined Light of the World just in time for the release of their second LP, Round Trip, produced by Augie Johnson of Side Effect (disco hit cover of Ronnie Laws' "Always There," number 56 R&B, summer 1976). The band split up in 1981. Baptiste,Wellington, and McKreith formed Beggar & Co., and Maunick, Hinds, and Williams formed Incognito. In 1982, EMI released a Light of the World album,Check Us Out, that featured Bello, Tubbs, and Augustin, and the singles "Famous Face" b/w "Get on Board," "Ride the Love Train" b/w "Get on Board," and "I Can't Stop" b/w "Check Us Out." In 1998, EMI issued a limited edition vinyl pressing of the Check Us Out album.
In the '80s, Wellington played with Wham! (&"Wake Me up Before You Go-Go").Peter Hinds became a successful producer with hits by Scottish pop-soul trio the Chimes ("1-2-3," "Heaven") on Columbia Records, and plays keys onIncognito's albums (1991's Inside Life, 1992's Tribes, Vibes and Scribes, 1994'sPositivity, 1995's 100° and Rising, 1996's Beneath the Surface), Maysa's self-titled 1995 album and Inner Shade's 4 Corners, released on N2K Encoded Music in April of 1999. Gee Bello released an '80s solo album on Capitol produced by Jonah Ellis (The Gap Band, Yarbrough and Peoples) that included the single "International Lover," and in the '90s sang vocals on CDs by the jazz-funk band Shakatak. "Are You Ready (For Love)," a track from Nigel Martinez's album So Good, is on the 1999 compilation Jazz Steppin' from Instinct Records.
Besides the aforementioned albums, Ensign released Best of Light of the World in 1985; MCI reissued it on CD in February 1999 and the group appears on a 1990 Chrysalis LP.
Unlimited Touch was an R&B group with club leanings from Brooklyn. They weren't disco, and they weren't exactly straight-up R&B; like their Prelude labelmates D Train, Unlimited Touch combined the two forms into what is often referred to as post-disco. They enjoyed minor success on the R&B charts, but they were embraced more by DJs -- such as the Paradise Garage's Larry Levan -- and became one of the countless inspirations behind house music. Their singles were often full-blow songs, with verses and a chorus, and they were often made with the dancefloor in mind. The group's formation was sparked from the efforts of Crown Heights Affair's William Anderson and Raymond Reid. The sextet -- bassist Sandy Anderson, drummer Tony Cintron, guitarist Phil Hamilton, vocalist Stephanie James, keyboardist Lenny Underwood, and vocalist Audrey Wheeler -- broke out on Prelude in 1980 with "I Hear Music in the Streets," a single that didn't do much commercially but fared much better in U.K. and U.S. clubs. A handful of other singles were issued, including the number 29 U.K. chart hit "Searching to Find the One," prior to the release of a self-titled LP that packaged the singles together. The less successful Yes I'm Ready followed in 1983, and the group dissolved shortly thereafter. Unidisc would later issue the Searching to Find the One compilation in the early '90s.
The B.B. & Q. Band (which stands for the Brooklyn, Bronx & Queens Band) came together accidentally on purpose when guitarist Doc Powell turned bassist Paris "Pee Wee" Ford on to producer Jacques Fred Petrus, who had already started Change and High Fashion from session musicians and vocalists. Petrus asked Ford to get some musicians together to record some tracks he'd written; after the tracks were finished, he shopped for a deal, got one, and brought the impromptu musicians (who came from Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens) together as the B.B. & Q. Band.
The original lineup consisted of Ford (bass), Mauro Malavasi (piano and synthesizers), Paolo Gianolio (guitar), Terry Silverlight (drums), Kevin Nance (keyboards), and Ike Floyd (lead singer). The deal was with Capitol Records and the band was up and running. They debuted with The Brooklyn, Bronx & Queens Band, produced by Petrus and Malavasi, which spawned the hypnotic, wallflower remover "On the Beat," a number three club hit the fall of 1981. Critically acclaimed by disco freaks -- Luther Vandross sang background -- their first slab of vinyl never exploded in the States.
A second LP, All Night Long, dropped in 1982; Floyd was gone, replaced by Kevin Robinson, and so was Luther. Tawatha Agee and Timmy Allen (Change) handled backup. It was a good follow-up with some good joints: the title track, "Electrofunkish," "Imagination," and a smooth rendition of Thom Bell/Linda Creed's "Children of the Night," from the Stylistics' Round 2 album. Rick Brenna served as guest vocalist. Yet they were still far from a runaway hit, their following was strictly club, and their sound wasn't spreading west, but primarily east, to the U.K. and Italy.
After two good albums, they coughed up a third -- their worst -- in 1983. Six Million Times lacked good songs, which Petrus seems to have relegated to Change and High Fashion. Robinson sang lead and co-produced the LP that boasted only two decent tracks: "Keep It Hot" and "Stay." Capital soured on the group, but they persevered, signed with Elektra in 1985, and released singles written and produced by Kae Williams, Jr., of Breakwater, "Genie" and "I'm a Dreamer" featuring Hairston on vocals.
The cuts failed to shake and bake, and their next single, "Ricochet," fell on Chrysalis Records in 1987 and eked into the U.K.'s Top 75. But that was all she wrote; shortly thereafter, Petrus, their mentor, met a gruesome end: he was found shot to death and submerged in water in Mexico City, held down by a heavy object around his legs.
Name at birth: Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. Marvin Gaye was an African-American soul singer whose hits included "How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You," "Mercy Mercy Me (the Ecology)" and "Sexual Healing." Gaye was an early hit-maker for Motown Records, writing and recording singles like "Can I Get a Witness" (1963), "Ain't That Peculiar" (1965) and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (1968). Gaye worked with just about everyone in the R&B business, writing and recording mostly mid-tempo romantic ballads, as well as duets with the likes of Tammi Terrell ("Ain't No Mountain High Enough," among others) and Diana Ross. He began to exercise more control over his recordings in the 1970s, and his 1971 albumWhat's Going On showed he was a composer interested in more than hit singles. What's Going On was a "concept" album that spawned the top hits "What's Going On," "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)," and the "Mercy Mercy Me (the Ecology)." Always moody and a little distant from the public, Gaye fell on hard times in the late 1970s. Following two divorces, money troubles and bouts of depression, he made a comeback in 1982 on the Columbia Records label with the single "Sexual Healing" from the album Midnight Love. The record was a Grammy-winning hit that put Gaye back into the spotlight, but he continued to be plagued by drug addiction and money trouble. After living in Europe and dodging the Internal Revenue Service for a couple of years, he moved in with his parents in Los Angeles. On 1 April 1984 he was shot in the chest and killed by his father after a heated argument. Gaye was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
Gaye sang the national anthem at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game. His rendition became a sought-after bootleg recording... His father was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and received a suspended sentence with probation; he died in 1998... "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" was used in a popular 1980s commercial featuring The California Raisins... "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You" was also a hit for James Taylor .
Oakland, California native Lenny Williams possesses one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary music. With his rich, passionate vocal style, he is rightfully regarded as one of R & B's most influential soul men. Williams began his musical career making records that have subsequently become R & B and Pop classics, tunes like the mega-hit "Cause I love You" (recorded on his solo album) and "So Very Hard To Go', which he recorded as the lead singer for Tower of Power. Lenny William's style has transcended into the new millennium, influencing many of today's newest R & B and Pop vocalists.
Minnie Julia Riperton (November 8, 1947 – July 12, 1979) was an American singer-songwriter best known for her vocal range of more than five octaves and her 1975 single "Lovin' You". She was married to songwriter and music producer Richard Rudolph (1968 until her death in 1979). She was also the mother of music engineer Marc Rudolph and actress/comedienne Maya Rudolph.
Riperton grew up in poverty on Chicago's southside. As a child Riperton studied music, drama, and dance at Chicago's Lincoln Center. In her teen years, Riperton sang lead vocals for the Chicago-based girl group, The Gems. Her early affiliation with legendary Chess Records afforded her the opportunity to sing backup for various established artist such as Etta James, Fontella Bass, Ramsey Lewis, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, and Muddy Waters. While at Chess, Riperton also sang lead for the experimental rock/soul group Rotary Connection, from 1967 to 1971. In 1969 Riperton, along with Rotary Connection, played in the first Catholic Rock Mass at the Liturgical Conference National Convention, Milwaukee Arena, Milwaukee, WI. produced by James F. Colaianni. Riperton reached the apex of her short, but esteemed, career with her number-one hit single, "Lovin' You", on April 4, 1975. The single was the last release from her 1974 gold album entitledPerfect Angel.
In 1976 Riperton was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a modified radical mastectomy. Though she was given just six months to live, she continued recording and touring, and in 1977 she became spokesperson for the American Cancer Society. Riperton was one of the first celebrities to go public with her breast cancer diagnosis, but did not disclose that she was terminally ill. In 1978, Riperton also received the prestigious Society's Courage Award presented to her at the White House by then-President Jimmy Carter. She died at age 31 on July 12, 1979.
The younger brother of Hubert Laws, Ronnie Laws has a nice soulful sound on tenor, but has never seriously pursued playing jazz. Throughout his career, which includes early-'70s gigs with Quincy Jones, his brother, Ramsey Lewis, and Earth, Wind & Fire, Laws has essentially been an R&B player. He has led his own albums since 1975, but recorded very little of interest to the jazz world, although he is often listed on Billboard's contemporary jazz chart Here we go with an amazing performance of " Always There " !!!
Banda Black Rio released 5 records between 1976 and 2002. The seven-piece band blended funk with samba and jazz, and was often associated with soul/funk bands like Earth Wind and Fire, Herbie Hancock's Headhunters and Kool And The Gang. Black Rio has been credited as the vehicle that helped spread instrumental music in the poor areas of Rio de Janeiro as a result of their pro Afro-Brazilian rights… Top Tune of the Band!!!I love it!
Amazing Tribute taken from the Soul Train Awards 2010 .... The best rnb soul artists..for the MAN..Mr. Ron ISLEY & the Isley Brothers band! No words to describe ..just a must listen...Enjoy!
Lillo Thomas. (born 1961, Brooklyn, New York, United States), is an American former Olympic-qualifying athlete and later a soul musician. He reached the peak of his success as a recording artist in the 1980s. His most famous songs include "Sexy Girl" and "I'm in Love."
Harvey William Mason (born February 22, 1947 in Atlantic City, New Jersey) is an American jazz drummer. He has worked with many jazz and fusion artists such as Bob James, The Brecker Brothers, Lee Ritenour, Herbie Hancock's Headhunters and almost all the Mizell Brothers productions with Donald Byrd, Johnny Hammond, Bobbi Humphrey and Gary Bartz. He is featured on George Benson's 1976 album, Breezin'. Harvey is also the Percussionist for the Contemporary Jazz group Fourplay, which includes keyboardist Bob James, Guitarist Chuck Loeb and Bassist Nathan East.
Mason's son, Harvey Mason, Jr., is one-half of the production team The Underdogs with Damon Thomas. The Underdogs have produced tracks for artists including Fantasia Barrino, Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey and Luther Vandross. Harvey Sr.'s work is featured on one of the The Underdogs' major works, the soundtrack of the 2006 film adaptation of Dreamgirls.
In 1979 Mason Sr, released the hit single "Groovin' You", a disco-stomping tune, from the album with the same name. This music was then, sampled by House producer Gusto, in his 1995 hit-single "Disco's Revenge".
Unlimited Touch was a New York based post disco group who had some regional fame in the early eighties. The group consisted of Audrey Wheeler, Phil Hamilton, Tony Cintron, Sandy Anderson, Stephanie James and Lenny Underwood. Raymond Reid and William Anderson from New York-based band Crown Heights Affair instigated Unlimited Touch in the early '80s, but they were not part of the band. The group was signed to Prelude Records (via Epic Records in the U.K.) Here we go with a nice melodic funky disco groove....enjoy it!;)
George Dukeshowed a great deal of promise early in his career as a jazz pianist and keyboardist, but has forsaken that form to be a pop producer. Inspired early on by Les McCann, he worked with a trio in San Francisco during the mid-'60s. In 1969,DukeaccompaniedJean-Luc Ponty, recording with the violinist. After eight months with the Don Ellis Orchestra, he joinedFrank Zappafor much of 1970.Dukespent 1971-1972 withCannonball Adderleyand then returned toZappafor 1973-1975. In 1975, he worked withSonny Rollins, co-led a group withBilly Cobham, and then formed a funk band (the Clarke-Duke Project) withStanley Clarke. By the late '70s, he was completely outside of jazz, playing R&B and producing projects for pop artists. Although he has since expressed interest in returning to active playing, little ofGeorge Duke's post-1976 work is relevant to jazz, but he has kept himself busy with projects.Dukey Treatsappeared in 2008 from Heads Up Records. This is the best live exhibition of SHINE ON...amazing tune!! ;) Enjoy
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