Reach for It
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Description
Keyboardist Duke, after stints with Billy Cobham, Cannonball Adderly, Jean-Luc Ponty, Frank Zappa (to stunning effect), and Don Ellis's big band, graduated with this varied 1977 program to jazz-fusion star status. The recording features popish jazz grooves with plenty of spikes inlaid, including rock-solid and heavy fusion, '70s funk, love-lorn ballads, and sections of bristling ensemble playing. One can hear what it was that Zappa liked in the eclecticist Duke: raw-nerved electronic keyboards with shifting rhythms and a sense of the funk, fun, and burlesque that Zappa relished. Especially deserving of mention among Duke's band members are searing guitarist Charles Icarus Johnson, thudding bassist Byron Miller, and drummer Leon Ndugu Chancler--propulsive, rapid-fire, time- and shape-shifting. But they all got the funk. --Peter Monaghan
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1 out of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Sampled to Death for a ReasonSaturday, January 03, 2004
There's a lot more going on here than just first rate funk. The Latin tinged improvisations (one featuring a young Sheila E.) on this album are terrific. And the space age Moog on several tracks is mind blowing.
And yes, the pimped up funk on this record is fantastic.
But please don't just listen to this album as a "dated" relic; blow the dust off of it and give it another listen. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how top notch it really is.
0 out of 2 people found the following review helpful:
THE BEST DUKE ALBUMSunday, October 19, 2003
I THINK THIS THIS IS THE VERY BEST ALBUM BY GEORGE DUKE EVER. REACH FOR IT! EVEN THOUGH HE HAS MANY OTHER GOOD ALBUMS OUT. ARTISTS HEATWAVE AND SLAVE HAS ALL GOOD ALBUMS OUT TOO.
Reach For THIS!!!Wednesday, September 17, 2003
The classic title song with it's loose,live-in-the-studio raps
and Stanley Clarke's THUMPASAURUS bass on the ultra-funky vamp
"Watch Out,Baby" are worth the price of admission alone.But we've
also got the Afro-Cuban influened "Hot Fire",the heavy latin-funk
sounds of "Omi (Fresh Water)" and the pure bombastic fusion of
"Lemme At It".Despite it's availability "Reach for It" is still pretty much early,firey George Duke-before mushy ballads took
over,even on pure pop-R&B crooning like "Just For You" and the
funky pop of "Searchin' My Mind".Although this is excellent through and through I still suggest Duke's BASF/MPS recordings
in the mid 70's (such as "Liberated Fantasies") as good referance
points-all those albums are only available on vinyl but worth
searching for.Look for those but buy this too-it's fantastic!
George gives up the FunkTuesday, April 23, 2002
Reach for it is another classic 1970's Funk Album. The title track is sampled by many Hip-Hop artists. Just for you is another beautiful ballad. Buy it!
1 out of 1 people found the following review helpful:
My first exposure to DukeFriday, May 12, 2000
and it's been a good relationship ever since! George Duke is a music legend in my mind and Reach for it was the start.