George Duke - Don't Let Go (1978/2014) CD-Rip

With a hot funk band and a big hit, "Reach for It," behind him, George Duke appears mostly in his persona as R&B star on this ebullient package of sometimes Latin-inflected '70s funk. The centerpiece is a self-parodic bit of shuck and jive called "Dukey Stick," which became a number four hit single on the R&B charts (at his gigs, Duke used to flaunt a gaudy, lit-up, perhaps phallic wand, the "Dukey stick," during this number). The percussion section is pretty potent, staffed by Leon "Ndugu" Chancler and Sheila Escovedo in her pre-pop star days; they even get a Latin workout of their own simply titled "Percussion Interlude." While some of Duke's considerable keyboard and electronic prowess breaks through now and then, this album is mainly aimed at the R&B market, as the preponderance of soul vocals indicates. As such, it is a cut or two above the routine fare of the time, though not as infectious as its predecessor Reach for It.

Tracks:

01. We Give Our Love (Duke-Chancler-Miller-Johnson) - 4:33
02. Morning Sun (Duke) - 4:15
03. Percussion Interlude (Chancler-Escovedo) - 2:02
04. Dukey Stick (Duke) - 6:07
05. Starting Again (Duke) - 4:30
06. Yeah, We Going (Chancler) - 3:41
07. The Way I Feel (Duke) - 4:45
08. Movin' On (Duke) - 4:23
09. Don't Let Go (Duke) - 3:26
10. Preface (Duke) - 1:30
11. The Future (Duke) - 3:28
12. Dukey Stick Part 1 (Duke) - 3:35
13. Dukey Stick Part 2 (Duke) - 4:43
14. Dukey Stick (12" Single Version) (Duke) - 8:07

Personnel:

George Duke - keyboards,vocals
Byron Miller - bass
Sheila Escovedo - congas,percussion
Leon Ndugu Chancler - drums,timbales
Charles Johnson - guitar
Josie James - vocals
Napoleon Murphy Brock - vocals
Robald Bautista - rhythm guitar