Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings

Most bands at weddings end up being a polite disappointment - they play too much"
cover" music or not enough, they sound too loud or too soft, or the tunes are endless jams of Lawrence Welk favorites fronted by a so-so lead singer, so I expected "the usual" at a wedding I went to earlier this year. It quickly became apparent that Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings were not only a real band, but a dynamic blend of soaring vocals (Sharon has been nicknamed the female James Brown) and a solid foundation of funk, just the right act to get the reception cranking. Sharon even got down and danced with the lucky couple.


Fortunately, one of the pre-wedding presents left in guests' rooms days before the ceremony (this wedding happened at a posh Jamaican resort) was a copy of "100 Days, 100 Nights" on Brooklyn's Daptone Records. I kept glancing at the cover, but didn't listen to it until I was back home. The title tune "100 Days, 100 Nights" caught my ear from the first riff - a quiet almost orchestral introduction - to the last soul-drenched vocal, Sharon Jones' powerful voice fronting a "gospelized" chorus (The Voices of Thunder) as she describes why it takes so long "to know a man's heart."


Turns out Sharon was born in Augusta, Georgia, and grew up imitating the "hardest working man in show business" JB himself, who hails from Augusta as well. Like many R & B acts, including Wilson Pickett and Aretha Franklin, Jones started out performing in church, branching out into singing with local funk groups and appearing in talent shows. She headed North to New York , supporting herself as a prison guard at Riker's Island as well as an armored car guard for Wells Fargo between session work. Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings officially formed in 2001. "100 Days, 100 Nights" was recorded at Daptone Records in Bushwick, which is their own independent label. According to their site, the "Daptone Soul Sound" has attracted the likes of Kanye West and Amy Winehouse among many others, while Sharon Jones continues to record for artists as diverse as Lou Reed and They Might Be Giants.


Besides the title tune, "100 Days" , the band delivers a consistent blend of James Brown induced funk, gospel and a hint of Motown soul, but clearly putting their own mark on tunes like "Something's Changed", "Be Easy", "Tell Me", and "When the Other Foot Drops, Uncle ". Sharon Jones' voice soars behind the solid musicianship. Check out their recordings and the Daptone Soul Sound at http://www.daptonerecords.com/.