BORN THIS DAY: American keyboardist, composer, singer, bandleader, producer and educator, GEORGE DUKE! Born January 12, 1946 in San Rafael, California, just outside of San Francisco, George Duke grew up in a music loving family. His mother played a little piano, and encouraged his love of music. From the age of four, George Duke attended performances with his mother, seeing such great artists as Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton in concert. In fact, as Duke told it, when Hampton came down into the audience during a show, the young George Duke got up out of his seat and followed Hampton around the concert hall. And after seeing Duke Ellington, he told his mother, I want a piano. You have to get me a piano! Listening to his uncles Woody Herman albums, Duke became enamored of jazz. He went to the record store, picked out a Miles Davis record, Kind of Blue, because he liked the cover...and he was hooked. There was never any question what he was going to do with his life. George Duke had a full life and an active career in music. He worked with some of the biggest names in the industry. He played with Frank Zappas band, The Mothers of Invention, for five years and then moved on to Cannonball Adderleys group. From there, he took off like a rocket, working with -- and George Duke released more than thirty solo albums of his own. His affable personality, his great musical talent and his joy in music made him a favorite of everyone who knew him. Here, George Duke with Geneva from his album Snapshot ~
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 07:24:07 +0000
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