Incognito’s Bluey introduces The Steve McQueens..

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Incognito’s Bluey introduces The Steve McQueens.. whose awesome album “Seamonster” will be his Splash Blue label’s debut release.

 BITTING THE BULLIT

I had travelled to Singapore with my band Incognito to play at the first Sing Jazz Festival in 2014.

Prior to heading East, I was asked by the organizers of the festival if I could attend a workshop at the Lasalle College Of The Arts. I was pleased to have the opportunity to pass on my knowledge of the music business and to encourage the students in the pursuit of their artistic dreams. Once I had finished talking I sat down to listen to a local band who offered to perform a couple of songs for me. The band comprising of a few students and teachers took to the stage and blew me away!

That was my introduction to The Steve McQueens, an unusual bunch, like animated characters from a comic book thrust together from opposite worlds.

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Vocalist Ginny Bloop captivated me straight away with her mesmerizing performance of “Walls”. Her hypnotic hand movements and body jerks accenting the broken Jazz beats of teenage Drummer Arron James Lee whose tall slender frame dominated the drum kit… Boy the kid could play! Stage left was Joshua Wan crouched over the ivories like brains from Thunderbirds, lost in the vortex of his composition only peering above the rim of his specs from time to time to get that vital eye to eye contact with Aaron who continued to drive the pistons of the engine room to it’s limits, and in turn glancing over at Bassman Jase Sng dressed in black, fingers scurrying across the wide neck of his beast like bass with effortless ease.

I began to look for common ground… Similarities with other bands and singers, but just as I thought I heard a smidgen of Erykah I was transported into Björk and Little Dragon only it was not… Positively not… I stopped trying to link it to what I had heard before and surrender to the fact that It was all so fresh, pulsating and lyrically engaging, wistful, poetic and at times savage! Just when I thought I was gaining a full grasp of the musical delights on offer a siren like voice of Fabian Lim’s saxophone came in twisting like a spiral and took me on an exploratory jazz journey I had not been expecting. They rocked me from side to side and cracked me upside the head and with a final snap and a screech… I bit the bullit and I was hooked!

So in short… Yes! If you gravitate toward the eclectic and you get your kicks from listening to the bold new waves of Hiatus Kaiyote and Snarky Puppy, if you like the virtuosic percussive technique of Chris “Daddy” Dave, your sonic delights topped up with a sprinkle of Fender Rhodes, If you mix your smooth with the jaggedly edgy, then you will most likely dig The Steve McQueens. But like the song says… “God bless the child that’s got his own”.

And that they do!

 Bluey

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‘Seamonster’ will be released  on June 14th 2015 on Splash Blue.

For more info check

http://thestevemcqueens.wordpress.com

https://www.facebook.com/thestevemcqueens.music


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