Face the Music is the 26th studio album by American jazz musician George Duke. The album peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart and No. 7 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart. It reached No. 24 on the Billboard Top Independent Albums chart.
Critical reception Lucy Tauss of JazzTimes favourably found "Keyboardist/producer George Duke inaugurates his new label, Big Piano Music, with Face the Music, an album filled with zesty, free-spirited, funk-fusion jams."
The Associated Press praised the album saying, "Duke, whose career spans nearly four decades, has a knack for timeless music, combining jazz, Brazilian jazz, funk R&B, even some gospel. Here, he enlists upright bass impresario Christian McBride, guitarist Jef Lee Johnson, drummer John "Lil' John" Roberts and Lenny Castro on percussion to accentuate his crisp, jazz-funk piano compositions. The entire disc is a winner..."
Buddy Blue of the San Diego Union-Tribune named Face the Music as one of his albums of the year.
Track listing
Personnel George Duke – keyboards Jef Lee Johnson – acoustic guitars, electric guitars Christian McBride – bass Little John Roberts – drums Lenny Castro – percussion Everette Harp – alto saxophone Dan Higgins – tenor saxophone Kirk Whalum – saxophone (7) Isaac Smith – trombone Oscar Brasher – trumpet, flugelhorn Jim Gilstrap – backing vocals Kenya Hathaway – backing vocals Wayne Holmes – backing vocals Lori Perry – backing vocals
Production George Duke – producer Erik Zobler – recording, mixing Stefeniah McGowan – assistant engineer Wayne Holmes – technical matters Doug Sax – mastering Robert Hadley – mastering The Mastering Lab (Hollywood, California) – mastering location Corine Duke – production coordinator Bobby Holland – band photography Jeff Lyons – art direction, all other photography James Goodlow – hair stylist Lalette Littlejohn – make-up Herb Cohen for Consolidated Productions – management
References