George Duke Band ft. Stanley Clarke — North Sea Jazz Festival, 2005

On July 10, 2005, the George Duke Band took over the Statenhal in The Hague for one of the “super sessions” of the North Sea Jazz Festival’s 30th anniversary. Keyboardist, singer and producer George Duke gathered an exceptional cast: virtuoso bassist Stanley Clarke, trumpeter Roy Hargrove and saxophonist Boney James, backed by Peter Tiehuis on guitar, Kevin Randolph on keys, Mike Manson on bass and Gordon Campbell on drums. This filmed live concert distills everything that defined Duke’s career: the taut jazz-fusion inherited from his years with Billy Cobham and Cannonball Adderley, electric funk and warm soul. His exchanges with Stanley Clarke, a longtime partner in the Clarke/Duke Project, deliver improvisation of rare mutual understanding. A full performance from one of Europe’s great jazz gatherings, this North Sea Jazz 2005 set is a precious document of an artist who passed away in 2013, at the height of his powers on stage.