An acid jazz project with surprisingly deep roots in the 1970s jazz/funk/fusion world, Incognito was originally formed by Jean-Paul Maunick (aka Bluey) and Paul "Tubbs" Williams. Both were leaders of the late-'70s disco-funk group Light of the World, who scored several moderate British hits, including a cover of "I Shot the Sheriff."

Just after the release of Light of the World's third LP (Check Us Out), Maunick and Williams shifted the lineup slightly and renamed the conglomeration Incognito. Incognito debuted with the single "Parisienne Girl" and released the 1981 LP Jazz Funk, but was inactive during the rest of the 1980s.

Maunick continued to write material for his group, even while working with Maxi Priest and others.By the beginning of the 1990s, DJ legend and early Incognito fan Gilles Peterson had founded the Talkin' Loud label and he made Incognito one of his first signings. The 1991 single "Always There" (with vocals by Jocelyn Brown) became a Top Ten hit as part of Britain's booming acid jazz scene, prompting the release of Incognito's second album overall, Inside Life. It was largely a studio affair, with Maunick and engineer Simon Cotsworth directing a large cast with many of the best musicians in Britain's fertile groove community.

The third album, Positivity, became the group's biggest album success, with much attention across Europe as well as Britain. Incognito later expanded its discography with 1996's Remixed, 1998's Tokyo Live, and 1999's No Time Like the Future.

The group's next two albums were again made without Leak, 2001's Life Stranger Than Fiction and 2003's Who Needs Love, which featured Brazilian vocalist Ed Motta. Leak returned for 2004's Adventures in Black Sunshine. Bees + Flowers + Things appeared at the end of 2006. The album was a mix of cover versions along with re-recordings of four Incognito classics. Incognito entered a new phase in its ongoing musical odyssey by signing with Heads Up International in early 2008 and release Tales From The Beach. Recorded in Italy, Germany, Indonesia and London (and Mixed in Jackarta), the album is a refreshing and uplifting set that captures the best elements of the band's classic sound: driving rhythms, high impact horns and stirring lyrics delivered by an array of expressive vocalists.

At the heart of Tales From The Beach, even in its melancholy or bittersweet moments, is the same message of hope and positivity that has been the consistent trademark of Incognito's live shows. "When people come to Incognito gigs, they come as if they're in need of some kind of healing, or some kind of wisdom," Says Bluey. "I'm not a doctor nor a prophet, so all I can do is give them something through the music and the message in the music. That ends up being part of the band's greater goal, whether we're on stage or in the studio- to bring people together, to be a platform to energize people."