The list of heavyweights who join
George Duke
on 1975's
I Love the Blues: She Heard My Cry
is impressive -- some of the participants include
Johnny "Guitar" Watson
, singer
Flora Purim
, percussionist
Airto Moreira
, guitarist
Lee Ritenour
, drummer
Leon "Ndugu" Chancler
, and guitarist
George Johnson
(of
Brothers Johnson
fame). With such a cast, one would expect this 1975 LP to be outstanding, which it isn't. But it's a respectable effort that thrives on diversity. The highlights of this album range from decent fusion instrumentals, like
"That's What She Said,"
"Giant Child Within Us-Ego,"
and
"Sister Serene,"
to the mellow soul ballad
"Someday"
and the
Jimi Hendrix
-like heavy metal/hard rock offering
"Rokkinrowl,"
which finds
Duke
singing lead and contains some of
Ritenour
's more forceful playing. Meanwhile,
Watson
perform a vocal duet on the title song, which is the only 12-bar blues number on the album. In 1975, some jazz fans wished that the artist would stick to instrumental fusion and stay away from R&B and rock singing, but, in fact, it was jazz that
would eventually move away from.
I Love the Blues, She Heard My Cry
isn't recommended to those who only want to hear
as an instrumentalist, although it's enjoyable if you like hearing some rock, soul, and blues singing along with your fusion. ~ Alex Henderson