Tony Momrelle

Rooted in gospel and soul, Tony Momrelle works as an R&B vocalist and songwriter who fronted the U.K. acid jazz institution Incognito and has also issued his own albums. His earliest vocal training occurred in church settings as a youngster, followed by time spent in a rap group throughout his teens. Only in 1991 did he begin to view music as a realistic profession, prompted by an acquaintance who urged him to a South London studio during Gloria Estefan’s album sessions. Those dates generated additional studio calls plus extensive work as a background vocalist on the road. He supported Whitney Houston, Elton John, and Sade while building a lasting association with Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick’s Incognito. His first solo album, Freetime, appeared in 1999, yet further recording dates, touring obligations, and a stint with the short-lived group Seven overshadowed solo progress for the next decade. In the 2000s he cut two albums, Soulmiles and Message in the Music, alongside Austria’s Lungau Big Band (LBB). Complete concentration on his own material produced the 2015 album Keep Pushing—his second proper solo set—which contained a striking version of Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway’s “Back Together Again” performed with Chantae Cann.