George HaffendenJean-Paul Maunick is a British soul legend: he was a founding member of the pioneering Brit-Funk band Light of the World, he has collaborated with the likes of George Benson and Chaka Khan, and perhaps more famously, he is the founder and leader of the incredible Incognito. Maunick, or Bluey as he is better know, put out a spectacular solo album entitled Leap of Faith in Spring 2013 and is back putting the final touches on his next solo album, releasing ‘Living Between the Notes’ as the first single.
The song finds Bluey in a reflective mood, praising his musical idols whilst celebrating his own musical triumphs: “Playing my music, feeding my soul”. The lyrics are cleverly worded; Bluey name-drops Aretha, Chaka, Benson, Bobby Womack and others, paying a non-clichéd tribute to these greats. The sound, as you would expect, is similar to that of his work with Incognito, yet differs somewhat. Certainly the Incognito-esque horns are missing, favouring instead a more eighties groove feel and a nice string arrangement, as well as a particularly funky bass-line.
The song picks up nicely from where Bluey’s first solo album left us which featured the great song ‘Got To Let My Feelings Show’, surely one of the future classics. ‘Living Between the Notes’ is equally as brilliant, showcasing Bluey’s vocals as much as anything, a feature that rarely features on Incognito recordings. The song is a musical homage to his idols, but is also a reflection about how much Bluey loves what he does: playing great soul-jazz for devoted audiences, and releasing great albums.
The album itself promises to be a mix of soul, jazz and disco and ought to be one of the most sought out albums of the year. We’re very excited to hear what Bluey has got for us on his second solo album, every indication suggests that it will be excellent. The album is available to pre-order from Dome Records, but until then we’ve got this delightful single to keep us occupied.