Search - Incognito :: Beneath the Surface

"ALL THAT YOU WANT AND MORE"

L. Kelsey | Riverside, CA. United States | 07/17/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Incognito's "Beneath the Surface" is a wonderful set of smooth/acid jazz at its best. Maysa returns on this effort after being away on the "100 Degree and Rising" set and it's a welcomed return. Her vocals range from strong (Out of the Storm), to tender (Shades of Blue, Misunderstood), to sensual (All that You Want Me to Be). This effort showcases what a wonderful vocalist Maysa is and how talented Bluey is in bringing the music and the voice together. This disc, along with "100 Degrees and Rising" and "No Time Like the Future," rotate between being #1 on my personal playlist. I have NEVER been disappointed by an Incognito CD, and this one is definitely one of their best."

THIS ONE BOWLS ME OVER!!!!

B Sax Man | North Carolina | 11/23/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Do you know what makes most songs? For me, it's the horn section, but I'm a sax player. I'm supposed to lean toward horns. In reality, what really drives the song is the drummer. Any song is defined by what the drummer does. And every drummer that Bluey gets for Incognito is masterful at 1) keeping the time and 2) maintaining the flow of the song. It's not about solos but about delivery. And the drummer on this wonderful CD (I'm writing this without the CD in front of me) is fabulous.



And in the context of this CD, the whole package is fabulous. From the opening to the closer, this CD will keep you in a particularly happy groove. Favorites: Chris Ballin singing on "Labour of Love" and "Living Against The River". The guy has such range and emotion; why haven't we heard more from him?? Of course, my favorite Maysa song would be "Misunderstood" with a very poignant sax solo in the middle. And I would be remiss to not mention the incredibly performed "She Wears Black" with a stunning drum solo at the end behind all the horns. Outstanding!!!



Get this CD and drive a few hundred miles on the groove. This is one of Bluey's funkiest offerings and one of my favorite CDs."

Among Finest From Incognito Collective

MovieMusic | 12/24/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Oh man,I REALLY wanted to give this album the 5-star rating because from listening to the opening instrumental jam to the closing instrumental (track 12),one might surely find Beneath The Surface to be a true Incognito masterwork. However, the U.S. version I bought contains two bonus tracks that, even though were interesting enough to listen to, just didn't fit at all within the context of the album. It is THAT version of the album for which I'm giving the 4-star rating.That said, the songs contained therein are some of the best written you'll find of any Incognito album. The music is smooth and seductive thanks to group leader Maunick's greater emphasis on live instrumentation this time around. One only has to listen to the RealAudio samples to get the picture. It also helps to have the vocal talents of Maysa Leak make a welcome return, demonstrating on several tracks why many fans consider her to be the real shining star of Incognito.So if any of you happen to come across the European version of this album that was rumored not to have the two nice yet totally unnecessary bonus tracks on it, then for all intents and purposes SNATCH IT UP! Otherwise, feel content with the U.S. version. Either way, you can't go wrong. It is a very well-executed project that demands immediate and repeated listening."