Magister Dixit

Better late than never, eh? I recently came across a downloadable demo (dating from 2006) by a French outfit called Magister Dixit. Web research throws up very little information about them, but some commentators place the group within the 'Zeuhl' bracket along with Magma, Verto, Univers Zero and others. This certainly makes sense given the elements of jazz rock, chamber music and vocal chanting, but for those not fluent in Kobaian, I'd suggest Brooklyn's Dirty Projectors and Canterbury's Soft Machine as potentially helpful points of reference.

Whatever comparisons the group may inspire, this demo is one of the freshest and most rewarding discoveries I've made in recent months, so comes highly recommended. I wonder if they're still active...?

Sir Duke

Being a cautious fan of Zappa's One Size Fits All - cautious partly because my favourite song on the album, the gorgeous 'Inca Roads', features lyrics regarding ugly groupies (not keen) as well as sci-fi creation theories (very keen) - I've been exploring the work of keyboard maestro George Duke, specifically the 1974 trio of albums over which the analogue synthesizer became more and more the dominant instrument, Faces In Reflection, Feel and The Aura Will Prevail.

Much of this stuff, especially Feel, is every bit the equal of Herbie Hancock's work around the same time such as Thrust, perhaps even Headhunters (an album I've always found a little flat and boring after the excitement of the Mwandishi trilogy) and is notable for some completely off-the-hook synth playing. Duke's often neglected as an electric jazz pioneer, and while his later work did slip into the same disco pit as Hancock, these three albums are worth investigating for anyone who loves fusion, prog... or the squelchy splendour of analogue synthesizers.

Here's 'Old Slippers' from Feel, which features not only some vintage wobble from Duke but also a badass guitar solo from Frank Zappa: