Anyone paying attention to the upper echelon of soul music's ever changing face knows the name Incognito. More than the moniker of a great band, Incognito is a brand - a guaranteed one-stop for sophisticated, uplifting U.K.-spun soul-jazz, stamped by a cavalcade of top-notch vocal talent, sweeping arrangements for rhythm section, horns and strings, substance-fueled lyrical content and the unflagging leadership of guitarist/songwriter Jean-Paul Maunick, affectionately known as "Bluey."

A commercially successful, critics' darling is oftentimes an oxymoron in music. Then again, it should come as no surprise that the endlessly innovative hip-hop band, The Roots, have managed to accomplish both. They have sold over three million records since debuting with Organix in 1990. At the same time, they've won a Grammy for best rap performance by a duo or group in 2000 for "You Got Me," and kept fickle critics and their loyal fan base satisfied with groundbreaking experimentation that deftly mixes elements from rock, jazz, soul, house, and any other genre that will make the speakers pop, while maintaining an undeniable hip-hop aesthetic.