Face the Music

Because George Duke is famous for his extravagant explorations of keyboard electronics and special effects, the nakedness of 2002’s Face the Music is immediately striking. Though Duke breaks out his synthesizer arsenal for a few tracks, most of the album is played acoustically. The upright bass (played by Christian McBride) is particularly potent, given how infrequently it has appeared on Duke’s albums. It’s almost a show of strength on the part of the maestro, who seems to be demonstrating that he can still generate that famously greasy, hypnotically funky sound even when using strictly old-fashioned instruments. Tough, tight, and magnificently rotund, “Chillin’,” “Guess You’re Not the One," and “The Black Messiah, Pt. 2” resemble D’Angelo’s dark funk opus Voodoo (from 2000) more than any contemporary jazz albums. “Creepin’” is a winning callback to the silly-yet-heavy funk of Duke’s '70s glory days, but the album's heart is the ballad “Close to You.” Featuring a rare vocal performance from Duke himself, the song shows that the pianist’s sultry power isn't a put-on; it's the product of deeply honed musical muscle.