Incognito
On a balmy December evening, Incognito brought a touch of summer funk to an enthusiastic crowd, as part of the South Coast Jazz Festival.
The crowded stage of 12 musicians and singers meant maximum musicality and a full-on sound. Three singers shared lead vocal duties, and whether it was the smooth vocal gymnastics of Imaani, the scorching blue-eyed soul of Mo Brandis or the bluesier powerhouse that was Katie Leone, everyone involved was totally into it, grooving along, without being a muso fest.
The powerful three-piece horn section and two drummers kept you grooving to a driving beat that made dancing almost compulsory.
With roots in ’70s funk – think Kool and the Gang, Earth Wind and Fire, Stevie Wonder – tracks like ‘Still a Friend of Mine’ and ‘Nights Over Egypt’ had the crowd getting on down, while the wicked double drum vs bongos duets at the end of ‘Supersonic Lord Sumo’ managed to avoid rock cliché and keep the funk going. After tracks from their latest album ‘In Search of Better Days’, which sounded fresh and funky, this United Nations-style band, with members from around the world, closed with the anthemic ‘Always There’ – a massive hit for Jocelyn Brown back in the day. “Love conquers all”, cried Bluey, as they left the stage to Bob Marley’s ‘One Love’, and no-one in the room would disagree.
The Old Market, 17 December 2016
Rating:
Karen Swayne
