(August 29, 2022) He played the bass lines on some of the most memorable songs for one of the most beloved bands in R&B and soul music. If you’ve attended a cookout or a family reunion in the last 45 years, you’ve heard the bottom that bassist Robin Duhe played on classics like “Happy Feelins’,” “Golden Time of Day,” “Joy and Pain” and “Back in Stride” as a member of Frankie Beverly and Maze.
What you may not know is the Duhe has been making his own music as a solo artist since 2003. Duhe is rightfully proud of being an instrumental part of the soundtrack of our lives, but he had things that he wanted to say musically.
Duhe is out with a new single, a contemporary jazz tune titled “Cruis’n.” It’s got a laid back, breezy vibe, and it will sound good coming out of the car speakers as summer transitions into autumn. Duhe is from Oakland, so he was a native Californian when Beverly and the other members of the band that would become Maze came west from Philadelphia looking to make a mark in the music industry.
The band’s music always had that swinging but relaxed style that suggests the Golden State, and Duhe brings that feel to “Cruis’n.” But don’t get it twisted. This song is 100 percent Duhe. He gets to stretch out on his bass playing and show is creativity in a way that he didn’t do on those great Maze records, and Duhe makes that bass talk. Check out Robin Duhe’s “Cruis’n” here.
By Howard Dukes
Robin Duhe – “Cruis’n”
