Name: Faces In Reflection
Brand: George Duke

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

0214942MSW

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Colour

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2022-02-25

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Proper

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

4029759149422

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Total Cap

1 / CD / Extended format: No / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No

0212855MSW

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Black

4029759128557

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1 / Extended format: No / LP / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No / black

Artist

George Duke

Genre GB

Jazz

Label GB

George Duke was an American R&B, soul, jazz and disco producer, keyboards player and composer. Born on 12.01.1946 in San Rafael, CA, U.S.A., he had a long and extensive solo discography as well as collaborations with Jean-Luc Ponty, Frank Zappa, Stanley Clarke, Billy Cobham, Cannonball Adderley and many others.
Duke's musical career spanned several genres and he made significant contributions to the music industry. He worked with notable artists such as Dianne Reeves, George Clinton, Anita Baker and Rachelle Ferrell. His talent on the keyboard was widely recognized and his compositions showcased his versatility.
With influences from R&B to jazz fusion, Duke's unique sound resonated with audiences worldwide. His collaborations with renowned performers like The Crusaders, Joe Sample and Ronnie Laws further solidified his place in the music scene. Although he passed away on August 5th of 2013, George Duke's legacy continues to inspire musicians across generations.

MPS is a German jazz label that was founded in 1968 by Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer. It started as a successor to SABA and quickly gained recognition for its exceptional sound quality. Often compared to the renowned Blue Note label, MPS became known as Most Perfect Sound.

From 1971 onwards, MPS releases were distributed by BASF and later by Metronome Records GmbH (renamed Metronome Musik GmbH in 1977). However, in 1983, due to declining budgets for recording jazz music, Brunner-Schwer shifted his focus to classical music and sold the rights of MPS to Philips. Eventually, the label found its way under Polydor's ownership and its recordings were re-released by Motor Music starting from 1993.

In Hamburg, Universal Jazz Germany took over the MPS archives in 1999 while Speakers Corner Records released various vinyl reissues. After ten years since Brunner-Schwer's passing, Edel acquired MPS's back catalogue from Universal on January 7th, 2014. Now led by Andreas Brunner-Schwer and Friedhelm Schulz, the team has returned to Villingen where they continue recording new material.

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In many ways, this trio recording is a milestone in the career of this young Californian. Duke unveils more of his early experiments with the ARP synthesizer, as well as a new creativity on such more conventional keyboards, as the Wurlitzer, Fender Rhodes, and the clavinet. 

As a result, Faces In Reflection is characterised by a wide variety of tonal hues. The journey moves from the explosive The Opening on to the tender-tinged Capricorn, which Duke had snatched from the Cannonball Adderley repertoire. Adderley had been the second major player he had worked with during that early period; Frank Zappa was the first. 

Two impressionistic solo intermezzi segue into the funky fusion escapade Psychosomatic Dung, with superb interplay between drummer Ndugu and bassist John Heard. The title piece’s secretive synth lines are the moments of calm before Duke’s passionate love affair with Brazil on the B side. 

The most surprising excursion on this side is the vibrant and rhythmically intricate adaptation of Milton Nascimentos’ Maria Três Filhos, counterbalanced by the synth laboratory of North Beach. Duke himself cherished the recordings; he stated that, “This was the first LP that really said what I wanted to say.”