Citrus Sun – Anaconga
Citrus Sun, the group created by Incognito mastermind Jean-Paul “Bluey” Maunick, just released “Anaconga” last month, their fifth album, also available on double vinyl on Dome Records. Clearly their best album yet, the ten tracks pay tribute to Jazz-Funk and Fusion icons from the 70s and mixes things up with brilliant originals. First single, the Bobby Caldwell-written “Down For The Third Time” (originally came out on Bobby’s debut LP in 1978), features singer Natalie Duncan and still resonates with its feel-good vibe (“when you rearrange your life”) and funky trumpet by Dominic Glover. And the Maynard Ferguson classic “Mister Mellow”, off his 1977 classic “Conquistadores”, has great guitar work from Charlie Allen and moody backing vocals courtesy of Tony Momrelle and Deborah Bond. The trumpet part is taken over by Kevin Robinson. A great start to the album.
We also get the Erykah Badu piece “Honey”, from her 2007 LP “New Amerykah: Part One”. I really dig the mellow groove on this and Natalie’s soulful vocals. It’s a great cover version. And Ronnie Foster’s “Mystic Brew”, from his 1972 LP “Two Headed Freap”, gets an extra jazz-funk modern re-run with fancy keyboards and an irresistible groove. Love the tempo change and the guitar solo towards the end. It’s brimming with fusion bliss, taking the 70s stance right onto the here and now. Beautiful stuff. And then of course are the original pieces after the four covers: “Twilight Reimagined” is a slower, flugelhorn-heavy track which balances the set in a great way. Tempo goes up again for the funky “The Boy Beneath The Sea”, which could have been included on the last Incognito album as well. I also really like the mellow “We Fight We Love” which includes some great percussion work by João Caetano, who also has his own solo record, released in 2019.
Things stay mellow as a cello on “In Search Of The Blue Note”, trumpet-led and yet with more exciting percussion. Tony Momrelle and Deborah Bond are back on vocals for “Sing To My Beat”, moving to a more electronic sounding backing with keys by Ski Oakenfull and Graham Harvey. And the album closer “Santiago” adds yet another color to the proceedings: the warm harmonica of Rega Dauna. Really sounds like a late 70s/early 80s fusion track. Please also check out their video for “Down For The Third Time”.
