Schwa. Posted November 11, 2005 Report Share Posted November 11, 2005 Keeping Up with Sharon JonesBy Vish KhannaAnybody craving a dose of some genuine funk and soul will definitely not want to miss NYC’s Sharon Jones and the Dap–Kings when they roll through town. The flagship band on Brookyn’s mini–Motown, Daptone records, Jones and company have released one of the finest albums of the year with Naturally, a powerful collection of vintage funk that you just don’t hear any more. The Motown mention is no joke as label head Gabriel Roth and songwriter Bosco Mann have landed artists like Jones with the aim of accomplishing a musical mission; to recapture the golden age of black music in America. “The whole label is built upon that funk, that era, that sound, and that’s Gabriel and he can tell you more about that,†Jones drawls. “All I can tell you is this: because of him and his love of that era of music — James Brown and the JBs — he looked for those kinds of singers. I met them when I was doing background singing for Lee Fields and right then he said, ‘Hey, this young lady’s got the voice I’ve been looking for.’ From there, I’ve been with them ever since.â€With a remarkably dynamic singer in Jones, Mann and Roth have the star power they need to make Daptone an independent force to be reckoned with and they’ve paid attention to all of the details. It’s one thing to write funk and soul songs that emulate that beloved 60s and 70s sound but Naturally does more; it sounds like a long–lost treasure from a bygone era that has recently been unearthed. The truth is, these songs are new and were laid to tape for the first time at Roth’s s Daptone Studio in Brooklyn within the last year.“We don’t use any kind of digital machines,†Jones explains. “We use the tape and we record like the way they used to record so that everything’s done live. It’s all mono, no stereo or anything like that; that’s the way you get it.†Indeed, Jones and the Dap–Kings get it every time on *Naturally.* There’s an infectious spirit to songs like “Natural Born Lover,†“My Man is a Mean Man,†and “How Do I Let a Good Man Down?†that listeners won’t want to shake. Ballads like “Stranded In Your Love†and “You’re Gonna Get It†show off Jones’ amazing breadth as a vocalist and the band lays down some amazing funk grooves on songs like “How Long Do I Have to Wait for You?†and an improbable take on Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land.†There is a grace and charm that comes across in these songs that reveals a seasoned group of performers gelling together magically.It’s all the more amazing considering that, while close to 50–years–old, Jones only emerged as a front woman in the late 90s. “Well, when I was younger and coming up, people told me I didn’t have ‘the look,’†she says. “They said I was too short, too fat, and too young. Then when I got in my thirties they said I was too old. That was then though because in the 70s and 80s, there was some ‘look’ they was looking for and that’s why it took me until I was 49 to get this far. I was good looking but I didn’t have ‘the look.’ When you’re dark–skinned, that wasn’t what they were after in the 70s and 80s.â€Though she has every right to be resentful, Jones harbours no ill feelings at being bypassed in her youth for trends that she didn’t relate to. “At the time it was a little depressing when you know you got the voice and the talent and then someone tells you, ‘either bleach your skin or change your look,’†she says. “It was a little discouraging but I felt that God gave me this gift and one day this gift would shine. This day happens to be the last couple of years.â€The more she’s heard by audiences, the more Jones’ extraordinary talent will be drawn out to serious fans of original soul and funk music. While she counts James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Patti LaBelle, and a host of Motown artists as influences, Jones really comes across as someone fresh on the scene, someone earnest who will make a difference in music as long as she’s able to.“If I go out on tour and can see the look on people’s faces and they’re not enjoying it, I know it’s time to stop,†she says matter–of–factly. “Right now though, people are just hearing it and when I go out there, people are saying that they’ve finally heard something that’s soothing to the mind. I think as long as I can get that response, you’re gonna get good some music from us. If that dies down, then I’ll die down.†Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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