With the latest two additions to its growing Complete Albums Collections roster, Legacy Recordings and Epic Records are looking to two musical pioneers for which the description "jazz artist" seems largely inadequate.  George Duke, keyboard virtuoso, and Stanley Clarke, electric and acoustic bass pro, have extensively toured and recorded together, but these forthcoming box sets turn the clock back to their solo periods on the Epic label.

George Duke has proven himself equally adept at jazz, funk, R&B and pop, but over a lengthy career, he's refused to be boxed in by any single genre.  Duke's name might have first resonated with rock fans when he collaborated with Mothers of Invention leader Frank Zappa on a number of the singular artist's best-remembered albums (Waka/Jawaka, The Grand Wazoo, Apostrophe) between 1969 and 1975.  Duke's early joint effort with another friend of Zappa, the violinist Jean-Luc Ponty, made for a well-received entry in the world of early jazz-rock fusion.  After a long stint on the European MPS label as leader, Duke signed with Epic in 1977 where he scored crossover hits with the funk-infused "Reach for It" and "Dukey Stick."  The 6-CD Complete 1970s Epic Albums Collection of The George Duke Band presents Duke's first six albums for the label, including From Me To You (1977), Reach For It (1977), Don't Let Go (1978), Follow The Rainbow (1979), Master Of The Game (1979) and Brazilian Love Affair (1980).  As is customary for these sets, all albums are presented in mini-LP replica sleeves, and Duke himself has written a 4,000-word note exploring each album in detail.  These are the albums from the fertile time in which Duke allowed all of his influences to flower, for a true fusion of jazz, blues, soul, funk and disco.

Hit the jump for the scoop on Stanley Clarke: The Complete 1970s Epic Albums Collection, plus track listings with discographical information for both sets!

Following Brazilian Love Affair, George Duke teamed up with Stanley Clarke for the first of three Clarke/Duke Project albums recorded between 1981 and 1990.  Clearly Duke had found a kindred spirit in Stanley Clarke.  The Philadelphia-born bassist made his name supporting such legendary figures as Stan Getz, Art Blakey, Dexter Gordon and Gil Evans, but his breakthrough came as a member of Chick Corea's influential fusion unit Return to Forever.  Clarke and Corea founded the group alongside Flora Purim, Joe Farrell and Airto Moreira.  (Purim and Moreira, incidentally, were featured players on Duke's Brazilian Love Affair.  Small world, isn't it?)  In addition to his groundbreaking work on all of Return to Forever's albums, Clarke began recording for Epic Records (on Nat Weiss' Nemperor imprint) in 1974 after his solo debut the previous year on Polydor.  The following albums are included in the 7-CD Complete 1970s Epic Albums Collection, all in replica mini-LP sleeves: Stanley Clarke (1974), Journey To Love (1975), School Days (1976), Modern Man (1978), I Wanna Play For You (1979, two CDs) and Live 1976-1977 (1991).  A host of guest stars dots these albums, including guitar gods John McLaughlin and Jeff Beck.  Like Duke, Clarke continued to record at Epic after the period chronicled in this box set, and in later years, Clarke became a successful composer of both film and television scores (Pee Wee's Playhouse, Boyz in the Hood, What's Love Got to Do with It).

These truly epic collections for The George Duke Band and Stanley Clarke will be available exclusively through Sony's online PopMarket site beginning January 24.

 

Stanley Clarke, The Complete 1970s Epic Albums Collection (Epic/Legacy, 2012)

CD 1: Stanley Clarke (Nemperor/Epic NE 431, 1974)

1. Vulcan Princess
2. Yesterday Princess
3. Lopsy Lu
4. Power
5. Spanish Phases for Strings and Bass
6. Life Suite

CD 2: Journey to Love (Nemperor/Epic NE 433, 1975)

1. Silly Putty
2. Journey to Love
3. Hello Jeff
4. Song to John (Part One)
5. Song to John (Part Two)
6. Concerto for Jazz/Rock Orchestra

CD 3: School Days (Nemperor/Epic NE 439, 1976)

1. School Days
2. Quiet Afternoon
3. The Dancer
4. Desert Song
5. Hot Fun
6. Life is Just a Game

CD 4: Modern Man (Nemperor/Epic 35303, 1978)

1. Opening (Statement)
2. He Lives On (Story About the Last Journey of a Warrior)
3. More Hot Fun
4. Slow Dance
5. Interlude: A Serious Occasion
6. Got to Find My Own Place
7. Dayride
8. Interlude: It's What She Didn't Say
9. Modern Man
10. Interlude: A Relaxed Occasion
11. Rock 'N Roll Jelly
12. Closing (Statement)

CDs 5 & 6: I Wanna Play For You (Nemperor/Epic 35680, 1979)

1. Rock 'N Roll Jelly
2. All About
3. Jamaican Boy
4. Christopher Ivanhoe
5. My Greatest Hits
6. Strange Weather
7. I Wanna Play For You
8. Just a Feeling
9. The Streets of Philadelphia
10. School Days
11. Quiet Afternoon
12. Together Again
13. Blues for Mingus
14. Off the Planet
15. Hot Fun/Closing

CD 7: Live 1976-1977 (Epic EK 48529, 1991)

1. School Days
2. Lopsy Lu
3. Quiet Afternoon
4. Silly Putty
5. Day Ride
6. Bass Folk Song No. 3
7. The Magician
8. Desert Song
9. Vulcan Princess

The George Duke Band, The Complete Epic 1970s Albums Collection (Epic/Legacy, 2012)

CD 1: From Me to You (Epic PE 34469, 1977)

1. From Me to You
2. Carry On
3. What Do They Really Fear
4. 'Scuse Me Miss
5. You and Me
6. Broken Dreams
7. Up on It
8. Seasons
9. Down in It
10. Sing It

CD 2: Reach For It (Epic JE 34883, 1977)

1. The Beginning
2. Lemme at It
3. Hot Fire
4. Reach For It
5. Just For You
6. Omi (Fresh Water)
7. Searchin' My Mind
8. Watch Out Baby
9. Diamonds
10. The End

CD 3: Don't Let Go (Epic JE 35366, 1978)

1. We Give Our Love
2. Morning Sun
3. Percussion Interlude
4. Dukey Stick
5. Starting Again
6. Yeah We Going
7. The Way I Feel
8. Movin' On
9. Don't Let Go
10. Preface
11. The Future

CD 4: Follow the Rainbow (Epic JE 35701, 1979)

1. Party Down
2. Say That You Will
3. Funkin' for the Thrill
4. Sunrise
5. Festival
6. I Am For Real (May the Funk Be with You)
7. Straight from the Heart
8. Corine
9. Pluck
10. Follow the Rainbow

CD 5: Master of the Game (Epic JE 36263, 1979)

1. Look What You Find
2. Every Little Step I Take
3. Games
4. I Want You For Myself
5. In the Distance
6. I Love You More
7. Dog Man
8. Everybody's Talkin'
9. Part 1 - The Alien Challenges The Stick / Part 2 - The Alien Succumbs To The Macho Intergalactic Funkativity Of The Funkblasters

CD 6: Brazilian Love Affair (Epic FE 36483, 1980)

1. Brazilian Love Affair
2. Summer Breezin'
3. Cravo e Canila
4. Alone 6 A.M.
5. Brazilian Sugar
6. Sugar Loaf Mountain
7. Love Reborn
8. Up From The Sea It Arose And Ate Rio In One Swift Bite
9. I Need You Now
10. Ao Que Vai Nascer