George Duke - Reach For It

By 1977, the jazz content of George Duke's albums had decreased considerably, and soul and funk had become his main priorities. Reach for It has more to offer from an R&B standpoint than a jazz standpoint, though the fusion it does contain is first rate -- including the Latin-influenced "Hot Fire" and "Lemme at It" (an aggressive gem that's in a class with some of the keyboardist/pianist's best work with the Billy Cobham/Duke Band). Reach's heavy R&B content resulted in Duke facing the same accusation as George Benson, Patrice Rushen and other improvisers who moved away from jazz in the '70s -- that he was a sellout. But none of this album's R&B content comes across as contrived or formulaic. In fact, Duke is downright inspired on the haunting "Just for You" and the Parliament-influenced title song. AllMusicGuide