A valued sideman, by the mid-'70s
Duke would become a star and influential in his own right. For this 1974
MPS release,
Frank Zappa had relinquished his studio time for
Duke. The kind gesture immediately reverberated throughout
jazz circles and beyond. By the time of this release,
Duke's extensive resume included two stints with
Zappa's
Mothers of Invention as well as some time with saxophonist
Cannonball Adderley. Although this would be the third album under his name,
Feel's eclectic mix of
fusion and
rock is his debut in the genre of which he'd later become a leader. The ARP synth-adorned and buoyant
"Love" features
Duke's blissful, falsetto vocals and
Zappa's intense and searing guitar solos. The beautiful and ethereal title track boasts one of
Duke's most effective melodies. The song also shows up as
"Statement," an instrumental one minute and 15 seconds in length. The funky instrumental
"Old Slippers" has impeccable drumming by
Leon "Ndugu" Chancler, with
Zappa again joining the fun with a gorgeous solo. A top-notch and insouciant
Latin excursion,
"Yana Aminah" features great double-tracked vocals from
Flora Purim and well as
Duke's deft synths, which replicate strings.
Feel proves that, even at this relatively early stage,
Duke's intelligent ear for melodies and his keyboard prowess set him apart from his contemporaries. ~ Jason Elias
