George Duke - DreamWeaver

George Duke describes this as his strongest album in years. The brilliant keyboardist-composer-producer has gathered a myriad of voices and crystallises them into a multi-faceted whole that far outweighs the sum of its parts. From bassist Christian McBride's work on the funky jam tune Burnt Sausage to Rachelle Ferrell's contemporary jazz singing on Missing You, every song offers something special.

The powerful centerpiece of the album, the positive and politically charged Change the World, spotlights several up-and-coming young singers alongside some of the most prominent funk, soul, gospel and R&B artists of the last few decades: Lalah Hathaway (daughter of soul legend Donny Hathaway), Jeffrey Osborne, BeBe Winans, Lori Perry (of sister group Perri), Freddie Jackson and Terry Dexter, among others. A special bonus cut, Ball & Chain, features a duet with Duke accompanying the late R&B singer Teena Maria one of the last tracks she recorded before her sudden death in 2010.