Bees Things & Flowers
Jean-Paul Maunick and his Incognito mates have spent the last 30 years refining and boiling down their version of acid jazz to a smoothly textured, immaculately produced sheen.Bees + Things + Flowershas a more retro vibe about it, filled with peaceful soul, stellar vocalists, and a few smartly executed covers. "Summer in the City" is a prime example of the latter, featuring a loopy vocal line, nimbly negotiated byCarleen Anderson, that floats over soft horns and snippets of playful synth. The singers Maunick brings in are often given the spotlight, even on a jazz flight like "Stand;" of course, a singer likeJocelyn Brownisn't exactly easy to upstage. At times, the record sacrifices tight structure for wandering bliss, like on the nine-minuteEarth, Wind & Firecloser "That's the Way of the World." On the other hand, it's not like you can't wait for that nine minutes to end. Maunick, as always, makes it sound like there's all the time in the world.--Matthew Cooke