Having worked for NASA for many years, the late Duke Way embarked on a second career as a recording artist (outer space journeys of a different sort). 2014's Alligator Wings and his later release, Just Sayin', contain spoken word narratives set to music that can be classified as jazz, but also includes touches of funk, gospel, world music and more. A Louisiana influence percolates throughout his work, as Duke grew up in Hammond and Port Sulphur, and later attended LSU in Baton Rouge, where he played drum kit for the Leonard Root Trio. Through the years, he studied African-based hand drumming with master drummers Kalhid Saleem and Babatunde Olatunji.

Precedents for Duke's philosophical speechifying range much further than just beat generation artists such as Jack Kerouac, Ken Nordine, Lawrence Ferlinghetti and others. They also include the stand-up comedy of Lenny Bruce and George Carlin, the offbeat children's stories of Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein, and even the recent bizarro work of William Shatner. But Duke brings a musicality to his monologues that is entirely his own. His verbal timing is as interactive with the music as any first-rate jazz soloist.

The "Johnny The Lip" suite is a five-part spoken word "jazz opera" that tells the story of a young trumpet player's quest to find "the note that isn't there." The tale draws you in like a great movie or play. You'll find yourself rooting for Johnny just like his New Orleans audience does in the story.

The albums not only showcase Way's percussion, poetry and storytelling artistry, but also spotlight much of the brightly varied music scene in Huntsville that serves as the colorful backdrop for Duke Way and his beat-era poetry.

"It's been many years since I've heard fluid lines & strange thoughts as well-spoken as these! [Duke] will just blow you away, without any added substances... lol!" - Dick Metcalf, Improvijazzation Nation

"Duke's voice is that of a clever friend and teacher, even when he's urging you to 'Be afraid. Be very afraid.' " - Marylyn Coffey, UAHuntsville

"Upon hearing Alligator Wings, you will... realize that you've just heard something completely unlike anything you've heard recently. It's a fascinating, twisted, beautiful, cracked work of art, and highly, highly recommended." - Doug Bennett, The Valley Planet

"It's so beat! Duke Way is the way to go!" - Taran Singh, Taran's Free Jazz Hour, radio-g 101.5 fm, Angers, France

Personnel:

• Duke Way - vocals, drums, percussion, Native American flutes
• Dawn Osborne - vocals
• Tom Branch - drums
• Soloman Grable - drums
• Aaron Cox - drums
• Mike Dendy - drums, percussion
• Shawn Webster - percussion
• Jeff Woods - percussion
• Nick Walker - bass, strings
• Andrew Sharpe - bass
• John Onder - bass
• Jim Cavender - bass, guitar, keyboards, percussion, bells, melodica
• Newt Johnson - keyboards, backing vocals
• Keith Taylor - piano
• Emily Bodnar - theremin
• Tom Barker - harmonica
• Billy Bargetzi - trombone
• Mark-Daniel Mitchell - trumpet
• Ken Watters - trumpet
• Richard Campbell - trumpet
• Walter Robinson - sax
• Nikki Russell - sax
• Judy DiMaso - sax
• Eric Rogers - sax
• Mike Agee - sax
• Gus Arnold - sax
• Steve Motz - sax, flute
• Blair Breitreiter - woodwinds
• Terri Cavender - flute

Check out YouTube to hear Mr. Way's entire Alligator Wings and Just Sayin' albums.