In the year 2020, it is pointless to classify Vincent Ingala as an up and coming artist. The release of his latest effort, Echoes Of The Heart is his sixth studio album. Add to that - 15 Top Ten Billboard hits and five number 1's, and you have a bonafide veteran.
By the way, Ingala is still in his 20's.
If that wasn't enough, except for a few parts, Ingala plays all the instruments on Echoes Of The Heart.
Not too shabby!
The album consists of ten tracks - eight originals and two remakes. Guest appearances include Chris Geith, DW3, David Benoit, and Steve Oliver.
Let's get into the music and check out the new stuff!
Review - 'Echoes Of The Heart' by Vincent Ingala
The set begins with Caught Me By Surprise. You will get a little old school vibe, as the beat is reminiscent of the New Jack Swing era, AND this is a style that you would hear from Dave Koz from back in the day. As mentioned earlier, Ingala plays all of the instruments on the song. His guitar work on the track is really nice..
Maybe You Think is up next, and this is a REAL groove. I love the type of tracks where the sax play sounds like it is floating on top of the other instruments. This mid-tempo beat will hook you from the start, and this is the perfect track to play as you are getting ready to go out on the town.
Piano man Chris Geith guests on Echoes Of The Heart, the title track. He and Ingala co-wrote the song, and if you want to hear what a master keyboard player sounds like, just listen to this tune. The song clocks in at four minutes, but I REALLY could use another 90 seconds. You will know what I mean after you hear it.
If you are ready for an uptempo song, What's Option B? is next. Ingala shows off the guitar skills here, and if you did not know that sax was his main thing, you would think that the guitar was his primary instrument.
The first of two remakes is next. Ingala re-imagines the classic After 7 song, Ready Or Not. Seeing as though After 7 was my favorite vocal group of the 90's, I was interested to see what Ingala does with it. Soul Latin Group DW3 is featured on
background vocals.
I have said this before - Ingala has a knack of picking the right songs to remake.
Somewhere In Time is next. The song is co-written by and it features David Benoit. The song has a New Age feel to it, and we love it when today's artists channel that style in their music. Ingala is back on the sax and Benoit does his thing on the piano. This is just a great track.
When you have a song called Let's Go Back, you will probably expect a style from days gone by. This is exactly what you get here. I would say that this one is for the steppers, and it is perfect for that 1am playlist.
If you like a little funk with that mid-tempo groove, then Take Your Time is for you. This is all Ingala, from the the bass, to the keys, and of course the sax. We are sure that this song will be stuck on repeat.
Up next is the second remake on the album, Baby, Baby from Amy Grant. I told you that he can pick the songs! The track lends itself well as an instrumental, and this updated version sounds really great.
The set concludes with Sunset On Marco. It features Steve Oliver, and I am really feeling the mediterranean vibe that they have going. Oliver's distinct guitar dominates, and I am not mad at that! This is a great way to conclude the album.
Vincent Ingala does it again with a great effort. His grooves are second to none, he has a nice roster of guest stars, and the remakes are on point.
Be sure to check it out and add a few tracks to your favorite playlist.