Paris Toon walked away from music. He was done. However, emotions are a funny thing; as he went through a divorce, the music in his heart became the music in his studio and ultimately what’s made up Baptism by Fire, the newest album from Paris Toon featuring Mother’s Favorite Child, the funky band he leads. Baptism by Fire is the culmination of ideas and pain, freedom and love, neo-jazz with a hint of soul and Brooklyn.
“Brooklyn Baby” was the product of Toon’s return to his notebook and the studio and has been paying dividends since the studio sessions that produced the song and the rest of the material that make up Baptism by Fire, becoming a hot download and seller on CD Baby. Music has always come easy to Paris Toon, from his time as a hip-hop producer in Boston and later Brooklyn, where he made his bones as a ghost producer helping to craft songs that became a soundtrack to a generation. But he grew disillusioned with the business of music and was starting a family, so he packed up and moved west, establishing a marketing and branding company that was innovative and lucrative, making his break from music easy.
There’s this connection between music and love–neither seem to flush from your system cleanly, so it was only natural that Toon formed Mother’s Favorite Child after his divorce and restarted his love affair with music. But this time is different; he’s in front of the music, in front of the band, leading the vocals and doing interviews. I guess you can say he’s found his voice. He’s taken a cue from influences like Prince, Herbie Hancock, and Donny Hathaway by incorporating real life into soulful jazz accompaniments with a hip-hop feel.
Mother’s Favorite Child is a movement, a unit of musicians fused together by musicianship and a commitment to sonic integrity, a direct reflection of its front man. Paris’ frustration with music being overwrought by samples and programming is what ultimately drove his decision to step away; during his sabbatical he became a student of sound, learned more about instrumentation, developed the poetry he’d been writing since high school and this latest project is the result of those years of study. In a sense, Paris Toon is a new artist all over again; the industry has changed and the direction of artistry has shifted, so has the means of getting the music to the fans.
Seizing the opportunity to put his marketing skills to work, Mother’s Favorite Child fully embraces the digital marketplace and directly connecting with music lovers in search of an organic act and authentic sound. 2012 begins with Mother’s Favorite Child on the road ahead of an album release that will expand on the ground broken by Paris Toon in 2011 and by being at the forefront of the Jazz Soul sound. Paris Toon has finally been worn down by friends and fans, putting together a collection of poetry that will be released in conjunction with unreleased songs later this year, the perfect outlet for years of emotions and creativity to be released.
Baptism by Fire was a declaration, a bold return by Paris Toon, a grand introduction for Mother’s Favorite Child and just a snippet of what this collective is poised to present. Paris Toon & Mother’s Favorite Child projects a realness reminiscent of the barbershop and musicality that recalls a smoky jazz club, simultaneously throwbacks to yesteryear and a foreshadowing of what’s to come…good music.
For more on Paris Toon visit www.ParisToon.com or follow him on Twitter @mfcsoul. For tour dates and other news on Mother’s Favorite Child, check out their website, www.mothersfavoritechild.com.
–Al-Lateef Farmer
Between rhetoric and reality is where you’ll find Al-Lateef Farmer; Black man, husband, social documentarian, and slinger of Soul by the pound. His brand of social commentary, rooted in independent thought can be found at http://www.worldaccording2teef.comand on Twitter @wrldacrdng2teef.
