Incognito: Tribes, Vibes and Scribes

This is one album which I have been meaning to review for you all for a while now. Featuring some of London's finest musicians including leader Bluey Maunick and Maysa Leak, few could forget her contributions to Tom Scott's wonderful "Don't get any better than this" from his Night Creatures set.

I have been listening to Incognito since the early eighties when they produced their Jazz Funk album during the fusion rage and then they seemed to merge into oblivion until the beginning of the nineties.

The opening cut "Colibri" is already a latin jazz classic in the Spyro Gyra Morning Dance vein or Mezzoforte's Garden Party. It has everything to enjoy including a Fender Rhodes piano break.

The album centers around the vocals of Maysa Leak and like Caron Wheeler of Soul 11 Soul, her rich and generous voice adds an impeccable touch to excellent fusion arrangements. Listen to ' Changes ' to hear what I mean. The varied instrumentation and interpretation is fresh and provides the listener with a total fusion experience. Each track has its own style and flows from the groove to the ballad effortless.

The full brass sound is brought to life Carribean styly in their version of Stevie's "Don't you worry about a thing." They remind me of a funky Chicago, all that brass.

The London sound is heard in "Magnetic Ocean" which is a Paul Hardcastle Rain Forest or Dawn break affair with a flute lead over a funky bass. Also reminiscent of the George Duke sound from the early eighties (remember Corrine from Straight from the heart )

I am a little biased to one of our local bands making good worldwide and Incognito have a full exciting sound which is mostly self penned by Bluey Maunick and Richard Bull. I used to think that the British jazz fusion sound was just copied from the American icons but this band can stand on their own two feet anywhere on the planet.

If you would like a new cd for summer for those long summer nights cruising around the coast or the highways, this is the album for you, get the roof off, wind in your hair and turn up the decibels to Incognito and the wonderful Tribes, Vibes and Scribes. (remember my last summer groove tip, Impromp2 and "Summer Nights", now a monster)

Killer Cut - Track 1 - Colibri

Rating - 10 outa 10

Musicians

Bluey Maunick - Guitar, keyboards and vocals
Maysa Leak - Vocals
Richard Bull - Drums, keyboards
Kevin Robinson - Trumpet & Flugelhorn
Fayyaz Virji - Trombone
Patrick ' Bebop ' Clahar
Peter Hinds - Keyboards
Randy Hope-Taylor - Bass
Thomas Dyani-Akuru - Percussion
Rowland Sutherland _ Flutes