Incognito

Emerging from the Brit-funk scene as an acid jazz outfit, Incognito has been steered since 1979 by Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick, the multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, and arranger who has steered a constantly shifting roster of players. After Jazz Funk (1981) the project looked finished, yet the band resurfaced at the start of the following decade and maintained a regular schedule of recordings and shows while sharpening their upbeat blend of grooves with the help of Jocelyn Brown, Maysa Leak, and Tony Momrelle, among many other guest and steady vocalists. Maunick and the collective have landed 15 singles on the U.K. pop chart, among them a Top Ten reading of Ronnie Laws' "Always There" and a Top 20 interpretation of Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing," yet their commitment to refreshing '70s soul, funk, disco, and crossover jazz earned them an even stronger audience in the U.S. Starting with Tribes, Vibes and Scribes (1992) and extending through Amplified Soul (2014), more than a dozen albums reached the Top Ten of Billboard's Contemporary Jazz chart. Incognito concluded four decades of work with Tomorrow's New Dream (2019) and, four years afterward, marked their 44th anniversary by releasing the typically exuberant Into You (2023).

Jean-Paul Maunick and Paul "Tubbs" Williams, both from Light of the World, launched Incognito in 1979. The following year they issued the single "Parisienne Girl," then delivered the album Jazz Funk (1981) before going quiet for the remainder of the 1980s. Maunick kept composing for the group while also supplying material for artists such as Maxi Priest and Nia Peeples; Williams eventually relocated to Finland. When Gilles Peterson's new Talkin' Loud label came aboard, Maunick revived Incognito in 1990 with assistance from fellow multi-talented musician Richard Bull. Their updated take on Ronnie Laws' "Always There," drawn from Side Effect's vocal edition and spotlighting disco icon Jocelyn Brown, climbed to number six on the U.K. pop chart amid the rising acid jazz wave and led to the second Incognito album, Inside Life (1991). Maunick and Bull assembled a broad ensemble of top British groove players, establishing the template for every subsequent Incognito session.

Tribes, Vibes and Scribes (1992) introduced vocalist Maysa Leak. Their cover of Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" peaked at number 19 in the U.K., while the album climbed to number five on the U.S. contemporary jazz chart. After Positivity (1993), Leak issued a solo album on Blue Thumb/GRP, prompting Maunick to recruit Joy Malcolm and Pamela Anderson for most of the vocals on 100° and Rising (1995), which included the U.K. single "Everyday" that reached number 23. Leak rejoined for Beneath the Surface the next year, where Imaani made her debut of several appearances. Through the late 1990s the band added Remixed (1996), Tokyo Live (1998), and No Time Like the Future (1999), the latter bringing Ski Oakenfull into the circle.

Life, Stranger Than Fiction (2001) and Who Needs Love (2002), the first two Incognito albums of the 2000s, were recorded without Leak. The former introduced longtime associate Tony Momrelle, while the latter—the initial Dome U.K. release—added Joy Rose and contributions from Paul Weller and Ed Motta. Leak rejoined for Adventures in Black Sunshine (2004), which also featured a guest spot from Incognito touchstone George Duke. Bees + Things + Flowers (2006) combined covers with four re-recordings of earlier Incognito tracks. More Tales Remixed (2008) drew on reworkings by Dimitri from Paris, Mark de Clive-Lowe, and others.

At the outset of the 2010s the group celebrated a key landmark through the two-CD Live in London: The 30th Anniversary Concert and the fourteenth studio album Transatlantic R.P.M. (2010), which included turns from Chaka Khan, Leon Ware, Mario Biondi, and Leak. Surreal (2012) preceded Maunick's first solo album proper, Leap of Faith (2013), yet Incognito stayed his central focus. Across the rest of the decade the band issued three further double-length studio sets—Amplified Soul (2014), In Search of Better Days (2016), and Tomorrow's New Dream (2019)—each supported by dozens of instrumentalists and singers.

Into the 2020s Incognito kept balancing catalog projects with fresh output while Maunick also partnered with Gilles Peterson on STR4TA, a venture revisiting early-'80s Brit-funk. The eight-disc boxed set Always There: 1981-2021 appeared in 2021. In 2022 the band teamed with rising vocalist Brettina on the single "Simple Pleasures" and later covered Idris Muhammad's disco staple "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This." Tokyo Dreams, a two-disc collection issued in January 2023, paired a late-'90s live recording with rarities previously gathered for the boxed set. Nine months later came Into You, a studio album that highlighted the voices of Natalie Duncan and Tomorrow's New Dream contributor Cherri V and introduced keyboardist and additional vocalist Chicco Allotta plus lead guitarist Charlie Allen.