I did not know whether or not I should classify this as an 'Artist Spotlight' or a 'New Artist Spot' anyway Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings have been making good ole funk music since 1996. I am just hearing about them but once I heard Miss Jones and the band perform (last night on the Mo'Nique Show) I was an immediate fan. Their penchant for capturing the essence of the mid 60's to early 70's funk sound is jaw-dropping. They shun all modern forms of equipment and recording in order to preserve the original legacy of funk. This means all their recordings are done with analogue machines. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings are true children of the original style and have been credited with being the leaders of the pack in the revivalist movement of this raw, soulful sound. The band is made up of Sharon Jones
Binky Griptite, David Guy, Bosco Mann, Neal Sugarman, Thomas Brenneck, Joe Crispiano, Fernando Velez, Homer Steinweiss, Ian Hendrickson-Smith. As Miss Jones stated upon meeting her mostly white band members..'THOSE WHITE BOYS HAVE SOUL!!"
The pivotal moment for Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings was "having secured a summer residency at The Boite, a club in Barcelona, Spain, the band recorded an LP, Dap Dippin' with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings in 2001. A few hundred copies were pressed, so that sales during the residency would provide financial backing on what would have otherwise been a financially disastrous trip. With promotional copies reaching notable funk DJs and reviewers, the album gained a significant reputation and was officially released as the first LP and CD on Daptone Records in 2002 to universal acclaim amongst enthusiasts. In their review at the time, quarterly hip-hop and funk magazine Big Daddy (defunct) suggested that it might be the best new funk album ever, credited Roth with being "one of the best analogue producers there is" and stated "this LP is a major triumph and a new standard has been set".
In late 2006, the band recorded a third studio album, entitled 100 Days, 100 Nights, it was released on October 2, 2007. The song thumps hard and was the song that made my ears perk up to listen to the great Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. In an era where our ears are being inundated with untalented singers, overproduced and auto-tuned it is refreshing to hear real music every now and again.
LV
100 Days, 100 Nights
Tell Me
Just Dropped In (My Condition)
How Long
I Learned The Hard Way
