George Duke - DreamWeaver (2013)

George Duke describes this as his "strongest album in years." The brilliant keyboardist-composer-producer has gathered a myriad of voices and crystallizes 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.