Local musical group Tone 7 has close ties to Skyline College–psychology professor Dr. Tony Jackson is the lead vocalist.

“Tone 7 has been together for about two and a half years,” Jackson said.  “We got together to do some work. We started work on some cover stuff but then we decided to make the move to strictly original music.”

A self described “neo-soul” group, Tone 7 is comprised of seasoned musicians from all over the Bay Area. Representing diversity, neo-soul places emphasis on providing a variety of different kinds of sounds and genres of music, skillfully woven into an eclectic mix.   

The band recently released their debut album, “Tonality,” full of a wide range of different types of music, from alternative to a mixture of jazz and funk (referred to as “junk” by the group) and even pieces strictly using acoustics. With eleven different songs on the album with highlights such as the junk mix “Chicago Streets” and the classic rock-themed “Revolutionary Eyes,” the band seeks to satisfy the ever increasing diversity of their audience.

“There’s a wide range of music we can do,” Jackson said.  “Our hope is that our fans will take enough of an interest in what we do as group to come out to our shows.  Everything is for real. None of it is recorded and no two shows are ever alike. We genuinely have fun with each other.”

Tone 7’s recent headlining performance at the Haiti Now benefit concert excited the crowd of nearly 150.  While the event raised money for a good cause, it also made the audience more aware of the up-and-coming local band.

“It was really fun to see him come out into the crowd during the show, making everyone feel welcome,” said Rakefet Avramovitz, division assistant of Social Sciences & Creative Arts, and coordinator for the Haiti Now benefit. “The band itself was just wonderful, they were really on it.”

Jackson’s musical background spans more than three decades. Initially he performed covers of songs by Michael Jackson, one of his inspirations.  He later teamed with music producer Kevin “Battlecat” Gilliam and produced several songs and albums. One song in particular, called “Increase The Peace,” was intended to be used in the film “Boyz n the Hood” but was taken out for unspecified reasons. Jackson eventually produced and shot a music video for the song “Mama Named Me Batman,” which was written to help create peace between two rival gangs, the Crips and Bloods, in South Central Los Angeles.

“It was a video about definitely bringing the sides together for peace,” Jackson said.  “About a year later, our video was duplicated by MC Hammer and some guys for their ‘We’re All in the Same Gang’ cut.”

When not performing or working on new material, Jackson teaches psychology classes at Skyline. An instructor for more than seventeen years at four different campuses, Jackson uses his experiences from his career and during his own time in college to help students excel in their studies.

“At least what I can do, if nothing else, is not bore students because I was so bored with my undergraduate education,” Jackson said. “One vow I’ll make is to not bore students.”

During the past few years of its existence, Tone 7 has garnered a growing fan base in the local community and throughout the Bay Area.

“We’re very interested in international play and we feel we have a lot to offer musically,” Jackson said.  “When we play shows, we give everything we’ve got.”

Tone 7’s debut album “Tonality” is available now on iTunes, Rhapsody and Amazon. Samples are available online at http://www.blackdotmusic.com/samples-1.htm