Incognito Albums (16)
What The Critics Say
British R&B hasn't been as huge a phenomenon as British rock, but even so, there are many reasons to applaud England's contributions to R&B. England spends more money on R&B than any other country in the world except the United States, and England has been the home of Lisa Stansfield, Hot Chocolate, Soul II Soul, Caron Wheeler, Imagination, Loose Ends, Junior, and Neneh Cherry (among many others). Another reason to applaud England's contributions to R&B is Incognito, who have been around since 1979. Incognito's work has generally had more to do with soul, funk, urban and acid jazz than with flat-out disco, but on More Tales Remixed, a variety of mixologists give songs from their 2008 release Tales from the Beach an overtly disco appeal. Of course, the word "disco" sounds very dated in the 21st century; it has a strong mid- to late-'70s connotation. But truth be told, disco didn't end with the 1970s; it simply diversified, became more high tech and acquired new names like dance-pop, deep house, Latin freestyle, and Hi-NRG. Not all post-'70s dance music is disco -- techno, with its loud, abrasive, in-your-face aggression, has a lot in common with punk, hardcore, industrial, and metal -- but a lot of it is essentially disco, and a disco mentality usually prevails on this 73-minute CD. Songs that weren't full-fledged disco on Tales from the Beach become full-fledged disco after they get dancefloor makeovers on More Tales Remixed; the remixes will be called dance-pop, house, club music, and other things, but the bottom line is that for the most part, More Tales Remixed is about taking soul, urban, and acid jazz tunes and making them as disco as possible. Thankfully, most of the remixes manage to emphasize club appeal without robbing the songs of their R&B appeal or their soulfulness. And even though More Tales Remixed falls short of essential and is slightly uneven (some of the remixes are more successful than others), hardcore Incognito fans will find a lot to enjoy on this overtly club-oriented disc. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
'Tales from the Beach'
Release Date 1/1/2008
Tracks 15
Label Heads Up
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What The Critics Say
However fans choose to label Incognito's sound in the post-acid jazz world of 2008, it was clear that wherever the group performs, its feisty mix of retro soul, brass, funk, and jazz truly lived up to the title of 2004's Narada Jazz disc Adventures in Black Sunshine. Founder Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick and his often rotating "collective" group averaged an incredible six months a year on the road, wowing crowds throughout Europe and Asia, where they're biggest in Japan and Indonesia. Incognito's uniquely funky, retro soul sound is so urban that it may have at first seemed odd to call their equally infectious, constantly grooving Heads Up debut Tales from the Beach -- 'til we realize that the beaches Maunick is referring to are those on his native island of Mauritius (off the coast of Madagascar). That's where he got wind of hotel bands and others playing around bonfires and cookouts; the loose, happy flow of Incognito's bouncy, horn inflected tunes here completely reflects that wistful reference. While Maunick's crisp, jangling guitar work, Francis Hylton's bubbling bass, and those old-school soul atmospheres and horns inhabit every melody and groove, these tales are told by a shimmering array of sensual R&B singers. The most well-known of these to longtime Incognito and smooth jazz fans is Maysa, who took time from her building solo career to grace four tracks with her rich and sexy, dark toned vocals: the soaring, percussive dance gem "I've Been Waiting," the dreamy melancholy meets joy-infused "I Remember a Time," the fast rolling jazz tune "Never Look Back," and the sensuous chill rocker "When Words Are Just Words." At a generous 15 tracks, Tales from the Beach gives ample tracking to a handful of lead vocalists who are lesser known than Maysa but equally as heart tugging and soul-spiced: Joy Rose, Tony Momrelle, and Imaani. The three of them team up on the brass and vibes-tinged anthem "Feel the Pressure," perfectly showcasing the true ensemble energy that's made Incognito such a powerful force in post-acid jazz groove music for so many years. ~ Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide
'Bees + Flowers + Things'
Release Date 1/1/2006
Tracks 11
Label Universal
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What The Critics Say
The U.K. soul collective Incognito's acid jazzy roots predate the format that became smooth jazz by a few years, so it's not exactly appropriate to call Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick and company's retro pop-soul-jazz vibe "smooth jazz." Nonetheless, on this typically dreamy, cool vibin' and supersensual release, they picked up on the ubiquitous genre trend of 2006 -- doing lots of cover versions. At least they take a unique approach to them, as the seductive, guy-girl trade-off vocals and sweet, horn-spiced ornamentation on "Summer in the City" comes after a whole minute of moody, mysterious film score type music. Their take on America's "Tin Man" and Earth, Wind & Fire's "That's the Way of the World" (which reaches dreamily towards nine minutes) are pretty by the book but more soulful (naturally) than the original and ultimately pretty irresistible. And at least they also dare to cover less obvious tunes like Roy Ayers' "Everybody Loves the Sunshine," which gets things off to a mellow but optimistic note. Incognito also dares to try a unique approach to the whole cover phenomenon, doing sparsely arranged takes on four of their own classics -- "Always There," "Still a Friend of Mine," "Everyday" and "Deep Waters." This stripped down approach allows his vocalists, which include Carleen Anderson, Jocelyn Brown, Maysa, Joy Rose, Imani and Tony Momrelle the center stage they so richly deserve. With this ensemble, the deep soul vibe is everything, so whether they're doing old pop songs, remakes of their own tunes, or originals, we're still dancing in the laid-back late summer sunshine. ~ Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The U.K.-based supergroup Incognito released their 11th career recording and it's a sleek, pop/jazz offering that will have you swinging and swaying to their groovy guitars, big horns, and soulful vocals. This is the first time the group has recorded with its touring band and it's a whole new groove. This sophisticated take on acid jazz features such great songs as "Baby It's Alright," "Show Me Love," and "As Long as It's You." The soulful vocals of Maysa Leak and Imaani bring a great dimension to Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick's company and it's definitely a keeper. ~ Paula Edelstein, All Music Guide
'Adventures in Black Sunshine'
Release Date 7/26/2004
Tracks 14
Label Edel
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What The Critics Say
It's funny how every time another phenomenally funky, brass-fired groove party comes out in the shape of another solid Incognito date, the label touts it as "retro." This time, Narada Jazz's press materials focus on all of group mastermind Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick's influences in order to remind listeners that he's a child of the '70s. But the basic soul vibe of that decade has been the defining element of Incognito's sound since their first disc in the early '80s. The big story on 2003's Who Needs Love was the inclusion of a Brazilian vibe via Ed Motta, and here it's the return after several albums of the honey soul-voiced Maysa Leak, who was a big part of the group's rise to acid jazz prominence in the early '90s. Depending on the intensity of the groove, Leak's cool vibes add breeze or urgency over the course of her seven tracks -- from the laid-back seduction of "Don't Turn My Love Away" to the more danceable and emotionally charged "Everything Your Heart Desires" and the moody, socially conscious "This Thing Called Love." Listening to the irrepressible instrumentals, which keep the groove moving under increasingly snazzy horn fire, it's clear the kind of impact Incognito has had on newer Brit outfits like Down to the Bone. "The 25th Chapter" rolls on and on like a disco on fire (with jazzy flute pepper trying to put it out), while no less than George Duke (another '70s-minded jazz-funk genius) spices up the spacy soul jam "Mindin' My Business" with some out-there Rhodes improvisations. Even with some 1,000 musicians passing through Incognito's ever-revolving doors and ever-evolving sound, Maunick's admiration for the soul music that first inspired him comes through brilliantly every time out. ~ Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The cool and bouncy retro-soul vibe of the veteran British acid jazz ensemble Incognito isn't really retro at all -- it's just that they've been doing it since the early '80s, when that sound was still a new thing. Despite its vast array of personnel changes over the course of eight previous albums, the band has stayed true to the original vision of frontman/guitarist Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick, and that means, even post-millennium, a liberal mix of jazz, house, groovalicious funk, worldbeat, colorful female vocals, and most of the times, snazzy horn sections. The band's Narada Jazz debut, Who Needs Love also includes spicy touches of soaring Brazilian energy (think whimsical, Sergio Mendes circa mid-'60s), with guest vocalist Ed Motta singing both words and scat over punchy horns, and a thumping disco beat. Gentle samba grooves infuse "Stone Cold Heart" and the feisty, Braz-funk gem "Cada Dia (Day by Day)" as well. Most of the other material is a bit less exotic, from the moody romantic R&B-flavored lament "Can't Get You Out of My Head" to the thumping, wah-wah- and horn-inflected anthem "People at the Top," which has "Welcome to the '70s" written all over its infectious grooves. The trippiest track of the bunch is "Byrd Plays," which blends an odd nature soundscaping ambience, a distant horn, and subtle African percussion with hypnotic low register piano chords. Maunick is always seeking new collaborators mixed with former cohorts, and here he has British troubadour Paul Weller and vocalists Kelli Sae, Joy Rose, and former group member Joy Malcolm. ~ Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide
'Life Stranger Than Fiction'
Release Date 6/19/2001
Tracks 12
Label Talkin' Loud
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'No Time Like the Future'
Release Date 4/19/1999
Tracks 10
Label Talkin' Loud
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