Customer Reviews

Tribes Vibes & Scribes

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have three CDs by Incognito: Tribes, Vibes & Scribes, Positivity, and 100 Degrees and Rising, and this is my favorite of the three. For some reason, "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing" is my absolute favorite track...it gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. :)

As I do with most new music, I tripped over this band's CD at a listening station at a local music store a few years back. I was surprised that they do not get decent U.S. airplay as R&B. I had heard "Colibri" on Contemporary Jazz playlists before, but this entire album is such a solid outing, you can just put it on and let it run straight through. This inspired me to look back in the Incognito collection, and to anticipate every release since. They cover Stevie's "Don't you Worry..." with energy and add a nice flavor via Maysa Leak's pipes. And what pipes they are. Yes, she does inspire thoughts of Chaka Khan, but please give this lady her own space. Ironically, the cover has her prominently displayed, standing front and center as though Incognito is her own Rufus. Bluey knows how to market an album cover! "Magnetic Ocean" gets my vote for funkiest cut....if this does not have your toes tapping then you need a toe check-up. "! Closer To The Feeling" even invokes a "War" type group chorus in combination with Tower of Power/E.W.F type horns. Enough references? I just want to show that this entire effort is a groove worth hearing. Enjoy.

Ain't no doubt about it, this is good music. No correction; this is great music. The Cogs brought their A game on this one. It really is a standout release. Highlights are numerous, but the one that knocks me out is Maya's powerhouse delivery on I Love What You Do For Me. Man! Such emotion.....and what a voice!!! Do yourself a favor and pick this one up.

After some respectable but unremarkable work in the late eighties, British jazz/funk/soul outfit made a wise move in the early nineties with the hiring of vocalist Maysa Leak. Her rich vocals have a honey-colored tone all their own, and she skillfully manages to sound emotionally powerful while maintaining a silky-smooth nuance that makes it all sound effortless. Unfortunately, the material on hand for her Incognito debut, 1993's "Tribes Vibes & Scribes," shows there was still room for improvement.

The most noticeable problem is Leak's lack of elbow room. She's only featured on five tracks, and while she handles them beautifully they don't use her talents to their full potential. The scatted samba "Colibri" is enjoyable, but the repetitive vocal runs leave Maysa the chance to do little else but go through the motions. "Change" is a midtempo delight, featuring lush strings and a trademark Incognito drum lick behind Leak's masterful vocal, but "I Love What You Do for Me" is so strikingly similar it's a surprise some sort of production tooling wasn't attempted. "River of My Dreams" gets off to a dreamy a capella start, but ends up robbed at a length of barely more than a minute.

Of course, this wouldn't be as obvious if the instrumental material were stronger. And while the Yellowjackets-flavored "Magnetic Ocean" and the slinky "Tribal Vibes" deliver, fare like "Closer to the Feeling" and "Pyramids" sound like watered-down Brand New Heavies, closer to the realm of smooth-jazz than the funk that is obviously being attempted. But Maysa's fifth track is worth the price of admission all on its own: her flawless and spirited vocal take a Latin-flavored, horn-laden rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry Bout a Thing" to the realm of brilliance, making for one of the band's most memorable moments.

Completists of either Incognito or Maysa Leak will no doubt want this in their collection; there are definitely enough worthwhile moments to make it a wise purchase. But in hindsight, "Tribes Vibes & Scribes" is somewhat of a low watermark for a band whose artistry would later reach high tide.

In many ways this could be considered Incognito's second album but it's not. It's their third;they had an aborted beginning in 1980 with Jazz Funk. But on this second release for the Talkin' Loud label they introduced vocalist Maysa Leak to the affair. With a boisterous,jazzily funky vocal instrument at her command I'm sure there were many who felt she'd have the same type of fate with Incognito as the vocalist that obviously most inspired her had with her band-that vocalist being Chaka Khan of course. But it hardly mattered anyway because what she baught to this set of songs really rounded out their sound and added extra spicy soulfullness to the afair. And just what WAS their sound anyway? Well I always enjoyed it is all I know. Basically it's the middle ground between the jazz-funk of the 70's and the 80's smooth jazz it mutated into,for better or worse. Somewhere in the middle between Roy Ayers Ubiquity,EWF and Sade was certainly just about the right kind of sound to have if you were a funk band of any sort in the early 90's. And that's how this album makes it's point.

Still keeping their instrumental oriented sound intact this includes many great grooves in the form."Colibri","River In My Dreams","I Love What You Do For Me" and "Pyramids" all really give it up;the heavy Brit-funk groove,the deeep bass lines and the general cool sensation of the melody and harmonic structure. The chanted vocals of Bluey himself on "Closer To The Feeling",along with the Joe Sample-like flavors of "L-Arc En Ciel De Miles" also have a similar impact. As do the polyrhythmic smooth grooves of "Tribal Vibes" and my own favorite "Magnetic Oceans" with it's synthesizer washes-an effect I always find a little magical. "Need To Know" gets down big time with this nice JB style guitar intro. The tracks with vocals are highlited by two numbers: "Change" is a self written funk tune where Maysa wraps her elastic,taffy-like(as in sweet,flexible AND tough) voice around a great message that is just perfect for the era. And it actually has an intelligent inner dialog too. Of course the album shines on her version of Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing",a lot slicker production wise and vocally more pensive than the original but keeps the latin flavor completely intact.

Rounding out with the midtempo Maysa lead on "I Love What You Do For Me" this album has a very compelling late 80's/early 90's European dance bar/cafe style flavor to it all around. It clearly has the hipsters of the day in mind with it's focus. Most new music that celebrated funk during this time was bound to get that effect. But what matters is how the band itself continually look for ways to bring it's destinctive jazz-funk sound to new audiences by advancing through different influences,as opposed to merely surrendering to them just to cash in somehow. Even on some of their music here,especially the cover song you can here traces of the dance/house/disco element they would incorperate into their sound as they went along. In many ways that was an creative choice too. But truth is they also knew people enjoyed dancing. And their audience would enjoy something that challanged their feet as well as their mind. So they used the spirit of funk in all it's forms to reach the people. A lot of it started here. And it wasn't about to quit either.

This disc is nice. It's funky energetic and sort of back ground good if you know what I mean. It is a sort of history disc for me, because 8 or 9 years ago, I bought Positivity. Since I bought Positivity, I have bought just about every Incognito disc since. None of them, in my opinion has ever matched up to Positivity. So, having never purchased TVS, I thought I would see what it was all about. It's good, don't get me wrong, but they just quite didn't know what to do with Maysas beautiful vocals yet. Interesting, if just for music trivia's sake.
However, they get everything right on Positivity. It's a must have. Every song is good, even the mellow ones. If you have a kick'in Hi Fi setup,the recording is absolutely flawless. I know this is a review for TVS, but I wouldn't want anyone to buy this one and be slightly (maybe, maybe not )dissapointed, without owning the Incognito Crown Jewel.

Happy Listening.

I have been a fan of the musical genius Bluey and this band of musicians for many years; and they continue to amaze me with their dynamic sound. The refreshing brand of music that Incognito continues to create is a real delight and totally overshadows the roster of manufactured faddish so-called performers currently getting radio airplay. A must have for your Incognito CD collection!

Well, let me tell you that this cd is a star bright and prue delight...so good that you want to hold on tight all thru the night..cause you might lose yourself in the sweet harmony of incognito! I first brought this cd after listen to Incognito's greatest hit's(Japan Import version) which of the meter also,I fell in love with "Change" and "Colibri"...

It makes you want to holla like Mavin Gaye!

If you into real R&B Please pick up this cd!

Later.........

Oh yeah to learn about this wonderful group check out Incognito's website at icognito.uk.org And maysa's website at maysa.com

You won't regret it! Peace

"TRIBES, VIBES AND SCRIBES" was my introduction to Incognito. Their current material is better than this but I had to give it 5 stars because I played it for 6 months. My favorite song is "COLIBRI." Check their version of Stevie Wonder's "DON'T YOU WORRY BOUT A THING." Other songs "I LOVE WHAT YOU DO FOR ME, L'ARC EN CIEL DE MILES, and PYRAMIDS are very good. MAYSA's vocals are awesome.

2 1/2

The widely regarded lite-jazz fusion group excelled at smooth radio-friendly material but conversely produced a majority of slick, impersonal fare which can only serve its greater purpose cozied with irrelevant magazines and stale snacks. Enough material provides slight compositional insight to counteract vocal-driven bores.