Sons Of Soul

Performer: Tony! Toni! Toné!
Artist: Gerald Albright; General Grant; Lenny Pickett; George Young
Producer: Tony Toni Tone
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Tony Toni Tone: D'Wayne Wiggins (guitar, bass, drum programming); Timothy Christian Riley (keyboards, horn synthesizer, drums, drum programming); Raphael Wiggins (bass, keyboards, bass synthesizer, drum programming). Additional personnel includes: General Grant (rap); Nick Marach (acoustic guitar); John T. "Jubu" Smith (guitar, acoustic bass); Peter Corant (steel guitar); Charles Veal Jr. (violin); Gerald Albright (saxophone); Ray Brown, Jon Williams (trumpet); Reggie Young (trombone); Carl "The Rev" Wheeler (keyboards); L.A. Jay 1 (scratches); The SNL Horns; The Fat Lip Horns. Engineers include: Craig Long, Gerry E. Brown, John Affoon. By the time Tony Toni Tone released 1993's SONS OF SOUL, they had perfected a contemporary R&B sound that sharply blended hip-hop, soul and funk. Featuring a core trio made up of brothers D'wayne and Raphael Wiggins along with cousin Timothy Christian, this Oakland group stood out from the pack because of the individual members' reliance on their impressive instrumental range combined with judicious use of samples. Songs like "I Can't Keep It To Myself" and "Gangsta Groove" melded hip-hop rhythms with a soul-jazz spin while "Slow Wine" and "Anniversary" work a quiet ambiance that demands silk sheets and champagne. Although these latter songs hint at a group that wears romance on its sleeve, "My Ex-Girlfriend" and "What Goes Around Comes Around" use crackling rhythms and irresistible grooves to vent frustration over relationships gone wrong. Wrapping up this diverse rhythm and blues package are "Leavin'" and "If I Had No Loot," two tracks bristling with crisp guitar licks and punctuated by Raphael Wiggins' soulful soprano.

Spin (8/93, p.88) - Recommended Q (1/94, p.86) - Included in Q's list of `The 50 Best Albums Of 1993' - "...they deliver high tenor harmonies which hark irresistibly back to The Temptations and Miracles..." Q (10/93, p.110) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...[TONY! TONI! TONE!] declare their allegiance to `real' songs [on SONS OF SOUL] and deliver..." Entertainment Weekly (6/25/93, p.105) - "...It's fresh, funky, fierce, and it feels good..." - Rating: A- Vibe (9/93, p.125) - "...having already matched sublime vocals with slamming beats, the Tonys are now supplementing that combination (with a little help from a few collaborators) with great songwriting..." Village Voice (3/1/94, p.5) - Ranked #19 in the Village Voice's 1993 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll.

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