Dukey Treats

On Dukey Treats, George Duke returns to the big FONK of the late '70s and early '80s on this set for Heads Up. In truth, it's a bit of a surprise given the sheer laid-back tone of 2006's In a Mellow Tone, which was a piano trio date, but then, Duke hasn't been predictable for some time. What is interesting is that this return to the music that made him a commercial superstar and a platinum-selling artist coincides with a look back at his early fusion catalog by Universal in Japan, Europe, and the United States. In 2008 there have been two separate releases of Feel -- an elegant Japanese one designed for export by SPV and a bargain-priced edition in Verve's Originals series. In addition, MPS in Germany has released My Soul: The Complete MPS Fusion Recordings. But Dukey Treats isn't a fusion record. Instead, it's a funk and slick uptown soul outing. Duke surrounds himself with friends old and new on this set, including Sheila E. on percussion and backing vocals, a full horn section (including Michael "Patches" Stewart on trumpet and saxophonist Everette Harp), Jef Lee Johnson on guitars, and vocalists DeeDee Foster, Josie James, and Lynn Davis, as well as guest appearances by Leon "Ndugu" Chancler, Vinnie Colaiuta on drums, and Wah Wah Watson, among others. The music walks an interesting line between backbone-slipping, hip-wriggling funk jams reminiscent of not only Duke's early experiments with the form, but also of Don Blackman's and George Clinton's -- and modern, silky rich, velvety sophisticated soul. ...