THE DREAM [AKA: THE 1976 SOLO KEYBOARD ALBUM]

A retreat from R&B/soul and commercial aspirations, this album is a focused effort on Duke's keyboard abilities. Duke plays on all instruments which is on one hand spectacular, on the other hand, a helping hand on the fusion numbers would be appreciated ("Mr. Freeze" would get a new dimension with Chancler on drums). We have a fusion workout "Mr. Freeze" + "Vulcan mind probe", a revived beautiful synth contemplative number "Excepts from the opera Tzina", an acoustic number "Love reborn", short funky extravaganza "Spock gets funky". All compositions have a decent quality even if not overly progressive, they explore instrumental possibilities. Given the one-man show, it is an impressive one and Duke was not the only one thinking that.