May 25, 2018

RhoDeo 1820 Grooves

Hello, over at the Giro leader Simon Yates showed weakness after supremely showing his heels to his opposition in the previous stages, last years winner Tom Dumoulin doggedly defends his title and now is only 28 sec back, and everyone is expecting tomorrows 'queens stage' over 5 mountains to show who has left any gas left in the tank so to speak, Froome and Pozzovivo (2min further back) reckon they too have a serious chance of taking the pink jersey and they are right, an exiting prospect for tomorrow.



Today's artists are arguably the most multi-cultural band in Britain (current and past members hailing from a remarkable list of 32 different countries!), they was initially formed back in 1979 by Mauritius-born Jean-Paul Maunick, known to all since childhood as a Bluey . The son of Edouard Maunick - a distinguished African poet and writer - Bluey first moved to London in 1969 at the age of nine. By the mid-Seventies, his fascination with watching US bands like Earth, Wind & Fire, Weather Report and Kool & The Gang soon led to him hanging around with key players in the UKâ  s then-emerging jazz/funk scene - including groups like Gonzales, Hi-Tension and Average White Band - before going on to form his own aforementioned combo. With their debut album Jazz Funk (released through British independent Ensign Records in 1981) immediately establishing them at the forefront of London's then-thriving black music underground, the band however did not reach their commercial peak until signing with Phonogram's hip Talkin Loud label in 1990. ..... 'N Joy

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An acid jazz project with surprisingly deep roots in the 1970s jazz/funk/fusion world, Incognito were originally formed by Jean-Paul Maunick (aka Bluey) and Paul "Tubbs" Williams. Both were leaders of the late-'70s disco-funk group Light of the World, who scored several moderate British hits, including a cover of "I Shot the Sheriff." Just after the release of Light of the World's third LP (Check Us Out), Maunick and Williams shifted the lineup slightly and renamed the conglomeration Incognito. A decade separated their first and second albums, but from the early '90s through the early 2010s, the group recorded at a steady rate and stuck to their colorful hybrid sound.

Incognito debuted with the single "Parisienne Girl" and released the 1981 LP Jazz Funk, but were inactive during the rest of the 1980s. Maunick continued to write material for his group, even while working with Maxi Priest and others. (Williams later moved to Finland.) By the beginning of the 1990s, DJ legend and early Incognito fan Gilles Peterson had founded the Talkin' Loud label and he made Incognito one of his first signings. Their 1991 update of Ronnie Laws' "Always There," featuring lead vocals by Jocelyn Brown, became a Top Ten hit as part of Britain's booming acid jazz scene, prompting the release of Incognito's second album overall, Inside Life. It was largely a studio affair, with Maunick and engineer Simon Cotsworth directing a large cast with many of the best musicians in Britain's fertile groove community.

With 1992's Tribes Vibes + Scribes, Maunick added vocalist Maysa Leak to the lineup. A cover of Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" became another Incognito hit, and the album ascended Britain's pop charts even as it rose on America's contemporary jazz charts. The third album, Positivity, became the group's biggest album success, with much attention across Europe as well as Britain.

In 1994, Incognito appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation album, Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool. The album, meant to raise awareness and funds in support of the AIDS epidemic in relation to the African American community, was heralded as "Album of the Year" by Time magazine. In 1996, the band contributed "Water to Drink" to the AIDS-benefit album Red Hot + Rio, also produced by the Red Hot Organization. Their song "Need to Know" is the theme song for progressive radio and television news program Democracy Now!.

Late 1994 Leak unsuccessfully attempted a solo career with Blue Note, leading to temporary vocal replacement Pamela Anderson (not the Baywatch pinup) on 1995's 100° and Rising. Leak returned, though, appearing on the following year's Beneath the Surface. During the latter half of the decade, Incognito expanded their discography with 1996's Remixed, 1998's Tokyo Live, and 1999's No Time Like the Future.

The group's first two albums of the 2000s, Life Stranger Than Fiction (2001) and Who Needs Love (2002), were made without Leak. The latter, the first of several releases for the Dome label, featured Brazilian vocalist Ed Motta. Leak returned for Adventures in Black Sunshine (2004), a set that also boasted a guest appearance from longtime Incognito inspiration George Duke. Bees + Flowers + Things (2006) was a mix of cover versions along with re-recordings of four Incognito classics. More Tales Remixed (2008) involved remixes from Dimitri from Paris and Mark de Clive-Lowe, among others.

Incognito began the 2010s by acknowledging a major group milestone, most notably with the two-CD Live in London: The 30th Anniversary Concert, as well as their 14th studio set, Transatlantic R.P.M., featuring performances from Chaka Khan, Mario Biondi, Leon Ware, Ursula Rucker, and Leak. Surreal (2012) was followed by Bluey's first proper solo album, Leap of Faith (2013), while Amplified Soul (2014) -- one of the group's several releases to exceed an hour in length -- showed that their productivity was hardly on the wane. 2016 saw the band release its 17th studio long-player, In Search of Better Days, which featured guest artists pianist Avery Sunshine, drummer Richard Spaven, percussionist Jody Linscott, and Japanese guitar legend Tomoyasu Hotei.

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The good news about this release is that the worst thing about it is the completely horrid new cover design! Other than this, what you get with 'Jazz Funk' is a classic time piece from the early 1980's 'British Jazz Funk' era. Formed partly from the ever changing line up of 'Light Of The World', Incognito were essentially a less commercial arm of that group. Jean Paul Maunick, Paul (Tubbs) Williams, Ganiyu (Gee) Bello and Peter Hinds all add the classic Light Of The world stamp to these recordings but funky opener 'Shine On' and the excellent 'Interference' are not aimed as directly at the dance floor as say L.O.T.W's 'Swingin' or 'Midnight Groovin'. With 'Jazz Funk' therefore you get 'exactly what it says on the tin'- something to tap your foot to and make you want to dance but musical arrangements with a good many textures that a lot of thought has gone into.

There are some nice vocal tracks on the album as well - 'Why Don't You Believe', Chase The Clouds Away' and 'Incognito' all provide a nice change and only the weak 'The Smile Of A Child' counts as 'filler' on the whole album. Otherwise, this is a nice rounded collection that makes for a cracking listen - especially now that the groups minor hit 'Parisienne Girl' and its b side have been added.



Incognito - JazzFunk   (flac 313mb)

01 Parisienne Girl 5:45
02 Summer's Ended 5:05
03 Shine On 5:03
04 Wake Up The City 4:08
05 Interference 5:19
06 Incognito 4:55
07 Sunburn 4:49
08 The Smile Of A Child 4:07
09 Why Don't You Believe Me 3:20
10 Chase The Clouds Away 4:35
11 Walking On Wheels 4:54

Incognito - JazzFunk (ogg  134mb)

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Bluey Maunick's Incognito is one of the best bands few have heard. Inspirational dance beats with a vibrant que for catchy beats and original production. Incognito released 2 CD's 1992: "Inside Life" and "Tribes, Vibes, and Scribes." Inside Life is the more instrumental of the two. There are only a few vocal tracks on this CD. Yet those are very delicious! It seems the music on Inside Life was meant for a main album but had to be culled into 2 halves. "Once Step To a Miracle" is the first track that will catch your attention. Catchy, powerful, and an incredibly smooth mix of drums, bass, horns, and synths. "Love is the Colour" is another standout. Crisp, easy, and very deep. My favorite is "Soho." Linda Muriel's sweet and sexy voice coupled with Bluey Maunick's vocal synth's blend well in this funky track.



Incognito - Inside Life    (flac 330mb)

01 Metropolis 5:07
02 Smile 4:45
03 One Step To A Miracle 4:44
04 Can You Feel Me 3:44
05 Crazy For You 3:30
06 Gypsy 5:27
07 Inside Life 4:30
08 Love Is The Colour 5:05
09 Sketches In The Dark 4:22
10 Soho 4:55
11 Always There 6:05
12 Promise You The Moon 5:30

Incognito - Inside Life  (ogg  132mb )

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This London-based dance and funk, but mostly jazz, band brings nothing but energy to this project. The production is sleek, and the arrangements are precise. Maysa Leak reaches her higher notes without abandoning the fullness of her unwavering lower range. Half of the songs on this album utilize her vocals, while the others are instrumentals. The instrumental tracks feature bebop-influenced solos, in particular "L'Arc en Ciel de Miles," which is an admirable tribute to the late famous jazz trumpeter. However, each song's solo is just as riveting as the next. The one constant on this album is the steady strum of bassist Randy Hope-Taylor. Contrary to the group's name, their music is anything but incognito -- it's excellent and as conspicuous as ever.



 Incognito - Tribes, Vibes And Scribes    (flac  320mb)

01 Colibri 4:26
02 Change 5:00
03 River In My Dreams 1:08
04 Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing 5:12
05 Magnetic Ocean 5:14
06 I Love What You Do For Me 4:28
07 Closer To The Feeling 4:20
08 L'Arc En Ciel De Miles 3:56
09 Need To Know 5:17
10 Pyramids 4:27
11 Tribal Vibes 5:51

Incognito - Tribes, Vibes And Scribes  (ogg  121mb)

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This is an excellent collection of jazz and fusion numbers featuring the wholesome, peerless vocals of Maysa Leak and group newcomer Mark Anthoni. With gritty, urban rhythms and painstaking arrangements, Leak's radiant vocals ring with invitation. The lyrical content is upright and substantive. All the songs have an aggressive backbeat regardless of their tempo, providing an unobstructed platform for these artistic musicians to express their chic brand of music. Group leader Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick's vision of intertwine various genres of music (bebop, soul, classical, dance, etc.) into one incomparable sound is exemplary.



 Incognito - Positivity    (flac  416mb)

01 Still A Friend Of Mine 5:37
02 Smiling Faces 5:10
03 Where Do We Go From Here 5:21
04 Positivity 3:55
05 Deep Waters 6:37
06 Pieces Of A Dream 4:19
07 Talkin' Loud 3:27
08 Thinking 'Bout Tomorrow 5:53
09 Do Right 5:29
10 Inversions 5:55
11 Better Days 5:03
12 Keep The Fires Burning 5:21
13 Givin' It Up 4:42
14 Still A Friend Of Mine (Acapella) 1:28

Incognito - Positivity  (ogg  160mb)

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