Through The Years With The Dukes

 

 

 

DUKES FANS   

“Life is a series of transitions.” 

                            Anonymous 

   The Dukes of Destiny got together a long time ago; many of you know the story of a bunch of players getting together in a house in Mt Airy jamming, choosing their name from a takeoff of an ad on a matchbook cover, getting a regular monthly gig at Taker’s Café in Germantown, and taking off from there. There have, of course, been numerous changes in the past 38 years. We have been a 8 piece band, a 7-piece band, a 6-piece band, and we are currently a five-piece band. We have had sax players, lead singers who did not play an instrument, a lead singer who plays an instrument, always a keyboard player and always a kick-ass rhythm section able to lock in together and keep the whole thing moving. And we have always featured strong, unique, interactive and dynamic guitar playing. 

   I mention that because guitarist AC Steel has decided to leave the Dukes He was an original Duke-in fact, his composition, Window Shopping in The House of Forbidden Love, was the title song of our second recording. His singing and guitar playing can both be heard on three of our four recordings.AC has had several stints with The Dukes, most recently when he came back over a year ago to play in the wake of the post-COVID re-shuffling of the band. I have always loved his strong and inventive rhythm work, his stinging leads, his slide guitar work and his ability to play off of and with the other members of the band. You can see all of the demonstrated in some of our YouTube videos. Thanks, AC. It has been a pleasure knowing you and working with you. And you know you are free to come sit in anytime you want. 

  But do not worry, Dukes fans. Joining us on guitar for the remainder of the years’ gigs is another old original Duke, Richard Ray Adler. Ray is an exciting and original guitarist who loves arranging and ”Dukifying” tunes-he is largely responsible for our arrangements of Nadine and I’ll Go Crazy. So the Dukes will continue to be a hard driving, danceable band with original and exciting guitar work. Come on out and see.