Bluey

In 2020, guitarist and producer Jean-Paul “Bluey” Maunick estimated he’d worked with more than 1,500 different musicians. At least, that was what he came up with for one of his bands, Incognito—he’d have to get back to you on the total. More than a musician, Maunick has served as a kind of stylistic hub, connecting the worlds of jazz and funk, live performance and remix culture, old-fashioned musicianship and club progressivism. Born on Mauritius in 1957, he moved to London as a kid, joining the band Light of the World in the late '70s before splintering off to form Incognito, whose mix of funk, soul, hip-hop, and jazz helped define England’s acid jazz scene in the ‘80s and ‘90s. He’s collaborated with Chaka Khan, George Benson, and Stevie Wonder; performs in the Incognito side project Citrus Sun; and in 2021 formed the group STR4TA with the DJ—and fellow dot-connector—Gilles Peterson. On his Apple Music Hits show Groove Velocity, Bluey brings his experience and wealth of musical knowledge as he highlights the best of soul, jazz, and funk.