Released in 1978,
Don't Ask My Neighbors was the second and last album that
George Duke produced for Raul De Souza. For the most part, Duke serves the Brazilian trombonist well, but this vinyl LP isn't without its flaws. Duke sometimes overproduces, and a few of the tracks are weak -- especially
De Souza's disappointing versions of major R&B hits of the late '70s. Instead of really interpreting the Emotions' "Don't Ask My Neighbors,"
De Souza provides a pointless note-for-note cover and turns the song into elevator muzak. He doesn't fare much better on Michael Henderson's "At the Concert," which is marred by robotic female background vocalists who insist on singing the chorus instead of getting out of the way and allowing
De Souza's trombone to be dominant. However,
De Souza's interpretation of
Dorothy Moore's "I Believe You" is decent, and he really lets loose on
Wayne Shorter's "Beauty and the Beast," as well as jazz-funk smokers that include Duke's "Daisy Mae" and his own "Jump Street."
Don't Ask My Neighbors isn't as strong as
Sweet Lucy, the first album that Duke produced for
De Souza, but it's a generally enjoyable, if uneven, record that has more ups than downs. ~ Alex Henderson