By Eric L. Hinton

Don’t call it a comeback.

Yeah I know LL has the catchphrase on lock. But Neo Soul crooners Mint Condition insist it’s definitely not a comeback, even after blowing up BB King's Blues Club & Grill in Times Square after a six-year hiatus from the spotlight.

“We never went anywhere. We’ve kept busy,” says Mint full-time front man/part-time drummer Stokely Williams. “It’s more like a re-entry.”

Whatever you wanna call it…they’re back… now on their own brand new independent label (Caged Bird Records) with a new CD, Livin’ the Luxury Brown, to promote. It’s the group’s fifth album and their first effort since 1999’s Life Aquarium came and went way too quietly on the Elektra label. When Elektra downsized, “Aquarium” got lost in the sauce despite a promising start, prompting the band to fall deep into the background. But now, judging from the love fest of a reception Mint received from the sold out BB King crowd, the six years might as well been six weeks. The grown and sexy were literally elbow-to-elbow in the spot, falling over themselves to welcome the quintet back to the limelight.

Opening acts Zwei and Julie Dexter primed the crowd. But the intensity level kicked into overdrive when Mint finally took the stage around 10PM, opening with “My Sista” a base-driven love letter to all black women off the Luxury CD. But believe over the course of the two-hour set no Mint hit was left unsung, providing a nice reminder (as if one was needed) of just how damn good these boys were when they dominated the radio waves in the 90’s with hits like “U Send Me Swingin’,” “Forever In Your Eyes” and “Someone to Love.” An unmistakable nostalgia wave came with each silky smooth ballad and the crowd roared with delight and approval.

A few songs into the set, Stokley paused, seemingly genuinely affected by the love the crowd was pouring at him. “Damn! There are a lot of people here,” he laughed from the stage. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

The warm response wasn’t lost on Stokely, who confided after the show that after such a long layoff, a positive reception wasn’t guaranteed. But he was optimistic.

“They’ve been hungry. People have been wanting a healthy alternative to what’s been out there,” he said. “We’re at a moment in time right now when I think our sound, our type of music, was missed. The time is right for us now.”

For a group that debuted in the not-so-distant early 90’s, Mint exudes old school flavor in boatloads. Not so surprising when you consider they not only continue to write and produce their own material, but that the core group has largely remained unchanged since the 1991 debut recording Meant To Be Mint. Keyboardist Larry Waddell, saxophonist Jeffrey Allen, bassist Ricky Kinchen and guitarist Homer O'Dell are all back for a second spin. Only Keri Lewis, aka Mr. Toni Braxton, has defected from the group. Lastly, their collective emphasis on strong vocals, versus a reliance on the electronic beats, all come into play during a live performance. Their familiarity with each other shows on stage. They look as comfortable in front of a crowd, even after six years off, as they might be if they were jamming in a group members’ basement, away from prying eyes.

Stokley was so at ease during the show he took a 15-minute break near the middle of the set to get outright ill on the drums. Later, back on the microphone, Stokley worked the predominantly female crowd into a fever pitch, turning a cover rendition of Rick James’ classic “Mary Jane” into soulful funk anthem. Then, before you could come down off that high, they broke out their signature hits “Breakin' My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)” and “What Kind of Man Would I Be” giving the already amped crowd more cause to lose their collective nut. Elbows start cranking and the spittle starts flying as the crowd kicked back lyrics to Stokley faster than he could get them out off the stage.

And while the appreciative crowd was largely female, the vibe of the show wasn’t lost on the brothers in attendance. At one point in the show a deep base voice blasted out over my shoulder, “You Preach Nigga”!!

Preach they shall. Much of 2005 will be spent touring the country performing and promoting the album. In July the group will release their first live concert DVD/CD combo package. Yeah. Mint Condition is back. Just don’t call it a comeback. They’ve been here for years.