Forty years since their inception,
Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick's
Incognito continue to forge ahead with
Tomorrow's New Dream, closing out a third straight decade in which they have released at least five studio albums of feel-good soul, jazz, and funk. Longtime fans knowledgeable about the group's roots might long for another cover -- the album LP is nothing but originals -- but connections are made with some greats.
Phil Perry joins
Maysa to lead the crystalline "For the Love of You" (akin to
Masterjam-era
Rufus & Chaka Khan, not an
Isleys update), and
Take 6 add their goosebump-raising harmonies to "The Weather Report" (another
Incognito tune paying tribute to a band only in title). Past and current group members and a few guests trade off on the rest of the material.
Joy Rose opens up the album on "Haze of Summer," an uplifted number that beams like a sequel to
Jill Scott's "Golden."
Imaani fronts the breezy "Now That I've Found You," one of the finest
Earth, Wind & Fire homages. Along with
Mario Biondi, they outclass the relative newcomers, but the infectious positive energy never dips, consistent and familiar, somehow never mechanical.