Chill, coy and of course, mad cool—-I have been a fan of Tony Toni Tone since they hit the music scene in the late 80s/early 90s and met them for the first time when I worked the request line at a Dallas radio station. I was on my way out the door when I saw the three gentlemen walking in. I saw a sign stating that they were to arrive, but I didn’t expect them so soon in the evening. I approached them and asked, “Are you guys TTT?”

While Dawyne and Tim nodded, Raphael smiled at me, said ‘yes’ and unexpectedly, took the peanut M&Ms out of my hand that I had just bought for the ride home. We were all 20-something and that was likely a way for him to flirt, but it was a shocker and a moment that I teased him about when we talked for this story after his incredible show at the House of Blues: he hugged me, pecked me on the jaw and grinned bashfully. “I was hungry!” (2009). They were all kind to me, took a couple of pics and Saadiq is just as humble now as he was then. SO proud of his evolution as an artist and yes, trust and believe that I will collect on that M&M ‘loan’ when we chat again, hahahahaa! Much love Raphael, stay gifted!

He’s a multi-platinum, Grammy-Award-winning singer, songwriter and producer, but as he winds down his national “Kings Keep Marchin’” tour, Raphael Saadiq is thankful right now for more than just his enviable resume.

“I got my bag back, with everything in it,” The 43-year-old relates with a broad smile after his electrifying performance at Dallas’ House of Blues. He and his crew are trading war stories about thefts occurring while on the road (even his opening act, pop newcomer Anjulie, experienced equipment theft shortly before her set this very evening), and Mr. Saadiq was one of the lucky ones. “It was stolen in Zurich—had my passports, my money, everything. It was an inside job. Because of all of the cameras involved, and they (the thieves) didn’t want people to know who all was doing what drugs, so they returned it all.”

After his date in Houston, Mr. Saadiq will return to Oakland, CA for Thanksgiving before wrapping up his final three dates and getting back to the studio, where he’s presently putting the finishing touches on studio CD number four. Will it be a continuation of his critically-acclaimed, 60’s-styled 2008 release, The Way I See It, or is the music evolving into an entirely different direction? Mr. Saadiq’s response is a cordial, yet cagey one. “I never talk about what I do, that will remain to be seen. But all my fans have to do is hold onto the body of work and connect the dots. It could be similar, not similar, you just have to wait and see.”

In the meantime, those yearning for a new Saadiq joint can turn to the Precious movie soundtrack, where he collaborated with Mary J. Blige on the opening song, “I Can See In Color.” When asked for a possible release date, he smiles again and shakes his head. “That’s more than two questions,” he teases as he signs autographs and takes pictures with more enamored fans. Not that it makes much of a difference, because no matter when the CD drops, anyone with an ear for classically-created, organically-rooted neo-soul will make it a priority purchase.

CONCERT REVIEW: “As I See It,” Raphael Saadiq Slayed At the House of Blues

Combining a 60’s-esque vibe and organic neo-soul with a modern cool kat swagger, former Tony Toni Tone front man Raphael Saadiq entranced and electrified a nearly-packed House of Blues in Dallas on Tuesday night.

The fashionable over-thirty crowd was treated to a performance worthy of the true-school era of R&B; a six-piece band, a pair of superb background singers and, of course, Mr. Saadiq, who stood out with a crimson tux and oversized dark-rimmed glasses as he plunged into “100 Yard Dash,” “Keep Marchin’” and “Love That Girl.” Easily looking a decade younger than his 43 years, the suave and svelte Raphael oscillated between smooth, Smokey-like vocals and his supple, sinewy tenor as he delivered hit after hit.

Not that he mired himself on Memory Lane all evening, however: Mr. Saadiq also dusted off some earlier hits from the 90’s and seamlessly strolled into his solo era, kicking off an instant party with truncated versions of “Be Here,” “Dance Tonight,” “Body Parts,” “Still Ray” and “Faithful.” Displaying his ease at dabbling in multiple genres, he infused the chorus of Q-Tip’s “We Fight We Love” with just as much attitude as the rapper would have, and then stretched out the lusty opening verse of “Let’s Take a Walk”—“This place is crowded, don’t know bout’ you, I want some sex, some sex with you”—-into a tambourine-edged, soul-shouting gospel revival.

And if his self-assured stage presence wasn’t enough, Mr. Saadiq’s audience rapport included shaking hands, call-and-response vocals and pulling a lucky young lady named Monique from the front row to cuddle with him—horizontally—at the edge of the stage as he sang the lovestruck “Sure Hope You Mean It.” And while he didn’t even offer a medley of Tony Toni Tone hits, the depth and quality of his own diverse catalog was more than enough to keep even his waaaay-back-in-the-day fans satisfied.

Anjulie, a Toronto, Canada native and his opening act, had a soft and shy demeanor that suited her breezy pop material well (“Rain,” “Boom,” a cover of Annie Lennox’ “Why,” etc.). Her sound is decidedly girly, but the fact that she migrated from Toronto to NY with little more than a guitar and a dream signals that her street game is as sharp as her voice is sweet.