Not only do they remain respectful and indebted to the rich African American musical tradition, but they also recognize the countless varieties of expression from around the world. The products of a similar musical environment, the members of Mint Condition also shared a musical sensibility that transcended cultural and generational boundaries. Before joining forces as Mint Condition, all the band members played in various bands and backed singers around the Minneapolis- St. All of the members, excluding Kinchen, who came to the group from Chicago, graduated from Central High School in St. The members of Mint Condition include Larry Waddell on keyboards, Homer O ’Dell on guitar, Stokley Williams on lead vocals and drums, Jeff Allen on saxophone and keyboards, Kerri Lewis on keyboards, and Ricky Kinchen on bass. Their 1999 album, Life ’s Aquarium, a collection of songs that centers on life experiences, continued to showcase Mint Condition ’s unique dedication to an ideology that was conceived a full decade prior. For this reason, Mint Condition stand apart from their peers, courageously resisting the temptation to implement formula over function. Whereas many contemporary R&B and soul-inspired groups arrive on the musical landscape solely as an “album act, ” Mint Condition, a union of dedicated musicians who believe that playing their own instruments helps to vocalize their art, have always preferred to “keep it real, ” usually opting to record in a live studio. Taking cues from groups before them like the Gap Band and Earth, Wind, and Fire, Mint Condition remained one of the genre ’s few acts that play as a self-contained live band -a rare occurrence in today ’s market-driven music industry. The Minneapolis sextet built a fanbase the old-fashioned way: through live performances. Mint Condition, known for ballads such as the gold singles “Swingin ” ’ and “Breakin ’ My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes), ” arrived on the music scene in 1991 with Meant to Be Mint, progressively carving a niche for themselves in the world of rhythm and blues over the years that followed.
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