Restore Your Soul: George Duke in Concert, January 31
December 19, 2007
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George Duke. |
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The Sovereign Bank Music Series at Berklee continues with a man who has made soulful contributions in almost every genre of music: five-time Grammy winner and synth pioneer George Duke. Starting out in jazz with Jean-Luc Ponty and Cannonball Adderley, he gravitated to r&b, pop, and funk, eventually producing, recording, and performing with Larry Graham, Miles Davis, Shuggie Otis, Michael Jackson, George Clinton, Dizzy Gillespie, Earth, Wind & Fire, and frequent collaborator Stanley Clarke, among many others. Production credits include number one and top ten hits by A Taste of Honey, Jeffrey Osborne, and Deniece Williams. His 1992 album Snapshot spent five weeks on the jazz chart at number one. Younger generations know his music from samples in songs by Daft Punk, Common, and Mylo.
Restore Your Soul: George Duke in Concert takes place on Thursday, January 31, 8:15 p.m., at the Berklee Performance Center, 136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston. Tickets are $30, $22.50 for seniors, and can be purchased at the BPC box office, through Ticketmaster 617 931-2000, and at ticketmaster.com. Call 617 747-2261 or visit berkleebpc.com for more information. The BPC is wheelchair accessible.
Duke began piano lessons at age seven, leaning toward the funkier sounds he heard in the Baptist church. He formed his first band with Al Jarreau in San Francisco. In the late '60s, he was at the forefront of the West Coast fusion scene, blowing minds and unaccustomed ears with his electric piano. This led to Duke joining Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention for a time. Duke's remarkable career was the subject of the BET profile House of Duke.
At Berklee, Duke will perform his own music, selecting from a discography of more than 30 albums, including his latest, In a Mellow Tone. He'll also present a history of soul music, covering classic tunes with a stellar band of Berklee faculty musicians and vocalists including Walter Beasley,Terri Lyne Carrington, David Gilmore, Winston Maccow, Ricardo Monzon, George Russell, and Lenny Stallworth; and vocalists Gabrielle Goodman, Karen Bell, Armsted Christian, Jeannie Gagné, Kudisan Kai, Donna McElroy, and Jeff Ramsey. Duke was an artist in residence at Berklee in 2004.
The show is produced by Bill Banfield, and sponsored by Africana Studies/ Black Music Programming as part of the Year in Soul Music Traditions performance and lecture series (berklee.edu/africanastudies).
The 2007–2008 Sovereign Bank Music Series at Berklee features a wide variety of music, ranging from rock, jazz, and Latin, to r&b, hip-hop, and show and film tunes. Upcoming concerts include the SFJAZZ Collective, Berklee on Broadway, and the Singers Showcase. Berklee's outstanding students, faculty, and alumni are highlighted in this unique and astonishing season.
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George Duke performed with Berklee faculty and students in January 2008.
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For editorial information or digital photos, the media may contact:
Allen Bush
Office of Public Information
617 747-2658
abush@berklee.edu
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