Brettina & Bluey

Back in 2010, Bahamian soul/jazz singer Brettina (Brettina Lorena Robinson) released her debut album which includes the still thrilling “Bahamian Girl”. She’s back now after so many years with a version of her track “Simple Pleasures”, produced by Bluey of Incognito. The song comes to life (again) with this match made in heaven. The pairing sounds great and fits perfectly to the Incognito sound. It really sounds like one of those early Bluey midtempo soul/jazz wonders, heavy on brass with a pretty funky backdrop.

In the press release, Brettina is quoted saying that “when I was a student at the University of Washington in Seattle I discovered Incognito and their album ‘Vibes, Tribes and Scribes’ and it blew me away. To think further down the line I’d be working with them on one of my songs, and fusing my experience with these icons of UK Jazz right now is incredible.” 

There are also two remixes around: one is by Brighton-based Yakul, who gives the track a more esoteric/electronic-jazz sounding aesthetic. The other remix comes from Ski Oakenfull, who has often worked with Incognito, but also with Galliano, Valerie Etienne, Two Banks Of Four, and who started out as a member of The K-Creative. He moves the song towards a more DJ-friendly house version.

We also like a the new track from longtime Stevie Wonder singer Kimberly Brewer who wowed us a couple of years ago with her beautiful “Just That Sweet To Me”. She is back now with a duet with the mighty Maysa on a sweetly grooving tune called “No More Pain”. Produced by Chris “Big Dog” Davis, the track comes across with a bass and keys sound reminiscent of latter-day Stevie. Both singers really gel on this one. It’s really time now for a full-length album from Kimberly.