You will not easily find more emotional charge than on Dreamweaver in the repertoire of keyboardist George Duke. It is the first CD he recorded after the death of his wife Corine. It is said that misery often manifests itself in threefold. This is also the case with Duke, because Dreamweaver is also dedicated to singer Teena Marie whose last recorded song Ball & Chain can be found in the tracklist.
The third dead is guitarist Jeff Lee “Greazy” Johnson whose last notes can also be heard on this CD. Fortunately, Dreamweaver does not carry the atmosphere usually reserved for funeral homes, but fits neatly into Duke's discography, which is curated according to the something-for-everyone formula. Jazz funk, r & b, cool funk, soul for intimate moments, an attempt at world improvement through a we-are-the-world approach, and soul to swing. As usual, the highlight here is also Duke's jazz funk, culminating in the fifteen-minute Burnt Sausage Jam. Duke is one of the few artists who can still make his predictable formula sound exciting. (AD)more
