Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Greg Duncan: Sound Duality

Greg Duncan: Sound Duality

By Troy Dostert
July 27, 2022
View read count

Trumpeter Greg Duncan moved from Chicago to Philadelphia in 2020, and the change of environment brought about more than an altered geography. It gave Duncan the chance to forge some creative partnerships with two new ensembles, both of which are found on Sound Duality. The first, a conventional quartet, utilizes the talents of pianist

Tim Brey

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Tim Brey, bassist Sam Harris, and drummer

Anwar Marshall

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Anwar Marshall, while the other is an organ trio, with Marshall maintaining the drum duties alongside Duncan and organist

Lucas Brown

organ, Hammond B3
b.1980

" data-original-title="" title="">Lucas Brown. Differences in style and repertoire are evident in both ensembles, but what they have in common is top-shelf musicianship and Duncan's engaging, lyrical approach to his instrument.

The initial four cuts of Sound Duality belong to the quartet, and they are excellent. The opener, "Grounded," surges with a restless vitality; it is one of three Duncan compositions on the disc, and it has a memorable head with superb solos from both Duncan and Brey. Another Duncan composition, "Fear Blues," continues in a mid-tempo vein, before

Larry Young

organ, Hammond B3
1940 - 1978

" data-original-title="" title="">Larry Young's "Obsequious" raises the temperature dramatically, with a tenacious solo from Brey and a scorching one from Duncan. This band swings hard, and the four players clearly feed off each other, giving the music a decidedly live feel at times. Even the comparatively subdued

Ronnie Mathews

piano
1935 - 2008

" data-original-title="" title="">Ronnie Mathews composition "Jean Marie" conveys a melodic intensity which Duncan harnesses to the fullest. An entire album from this quartet would be more than welcome, especially if it was in front of an audience.

The second half of the album features the organ trio and, while it generally lacks some of the visceral punch of the quartet, it does provide plenty of tuneful moments, courtesy of the sweetness of Duncan's delivery as well as the source material.

Stevie Wonder

vocals
b.1950

" data-original-title="" title="">Stevie Wonder's "Seems So Long" and "As" are both compelling, with Duncan's lovely solo on the former especially worthy of note, while Brown gets a chance to strut on the groove-heavy treatment of "As." Duncan's "Stuck" holds its own with an insistent pulse which supports the tune's dark-hued melodicism. But the highlight is

Joe Henderson

saxophone
1937 - 2001

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe Henderson's "Granted," a four-minute burst of fire which reveals all the energy this trio holds in reserve.

The album was conceived and recorded in the midst of personal struggle, as Duncan's wife passed away in 2018. The closing track,

Billy Harper

saxophone
b.1943

" data-original-title="" title="">Billy Harper's "If Our Hearts Could Only See," gives him an unaccompanied turn on the piano, and the resulting elegy is heartfelt and poignant, with a gospel-accented second half and a brief nod to Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" providing an uplifting finish. Duncan is not afraid to put his emotions front and center in his music, and Sound Duality is all the better for it.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Grounded; Fear Blues; Obsequious; Jean Marie; Seems So Long; As; Stuck; They Find You; Granted; If Our Hearts Could Only See.

Personnel

Greg Duncan

trumpet

Tim Brey

piano

Samuel Harris

bass

Lucas Brown

organ, Hammond B3

Anwar Marshall

drums

Additional Instrumentation

Greg Duncan: piano (10).

Album information

Title: Sound Duality | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: New Origins Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Jazz At Juan-Les-Pins Festival 2022
< Previous

Alex Coke, Jeanne Lee, Steve Slagle ...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.