George Duke - Master of the Game (1979/2014) CD-Rip

Although George Duke first made his mark as a jazz instrumentalist, late-1970s classics like Reach for It, Don't Let Go, and Follow the Rainbow made it clear that he could also be an expressive R&B singer. But he didn't want to handle all of the lead vocals himself; so during that period, his role was that of a producer/keyboardist/songwriter who was more than happy to share the lead vocals with Lynn Davis, Josie James, and others. Davis enjoyed a lot of exposure on R&B stations when, in 1979, Duke featured her on "I Want You for Myself," the haunting single that made Master of the Game one of his best-selling albums. Her charismatic performance makes the listener wonder why she never had a solo career; the talent was certainly there. This album contains a few jazz fusion instrumentals (including the Latin-flavored "Dog-Man"), but it's an R&B release first and foremost -- and those who like Duke as an R&B artist will find this album to be enjoyable, if less than essential. "I Want You for Myself" and the mellow, Stylistics-influenced "Every Little Step I Take" are gems, but most of the other selections are merely decent instead of excellent. On the whole, this album isn't in a class with Reach for It, Don't Let Go, or Follow the Rainbow, which are arguably his most essential R&B-oriented albums. But it has more pluses than minuses and is worth having in your collection if you're a serious fans of Duke's late 1970s/early 1980s output.

Tracks:

01. Look What You Find (Duke) - 4:45
02. Every Little Step I Take (Duke) - 3:49
03. Games (Escovedo-Duke) - 3:14
04. I Want You for Myself (Duke) - 6:38
05. In the Distance (Duke) - 2:24
06. I Love You More (Duke) - 3:06
07. Dog-Man (Duke) - 4:40
08. Everybody's Talkin' (Duke) - 4:19
09. Part 1 - The Alien Challenges the Stick (Duke-Miller-Lawson-Myles) - 2:27
10. Part 2 - The Alien Succumbs to the Macho Intergalactic Funkativity of the Funkblasters (Duke-Miller-Lawson-Myles) - 6:59
11. I Want You for Myself (Single Edit) (Duke) - 3:55
12. Every Little Step I Take (Single Edit) (Duke) - 3:43