Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings have come a long way since their humble beginnings nearly a decade ago. Steeped within the gilded and gritty sounds of gospel, soul and funk, this nine-piece Brooklyn collective has continued to electrify fans, disc jockeys, critics, record collectors, and bloggers the world-over with their authentic, heart-felt sound. The authenticity clearly demonstrated on the band’s three critically-acclaimed albums – Dap Dippin’ (2002), Naturally (2005) and 100 Days, 100 Nights (2007) – captured and released by the independent Daptone Records. Their albums recall an analog era led by iconic studios like those at Motown and Stax Records, and have thrust the fifty-three-year-old Augusta, GA native and crew into the multimedia limelight.
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings have appeared on CNN, Good Morning New York, MTV News, VH1, Conan O’Brien, Craig Ferguson, David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, BBC Television, NPR radio shows like Morning Edition and Fresh Air with Terry Gross, and have been covered in a slew of publications, from personal blogposts all the way to feature stories in the New York Times Sunday Magazine, Newsweek, the Associated Press, Interview, the Village Voice, and Entertainment Weekly.
As distinguished as their recordings may be, however, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings have truly become renowned thanks to their incredible live show, not to mention their relentless touring. And though it’s certainly no easy task to keep such a vast ensemble on the road, the band continues to pack hundreds of clubs worldwide, from legendary venues like New York’s Apollo Theater, Beacon Theater and Central Park’s SummerStage to their show-stopping sets at Coachella, Lollapalooza, Roskilde, Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits and WOMAD.
On April 6th, 2010, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings will mark history with ther fourth album I Learned the Hard Way. Produced by Bosco Mann and recorded in its entirety on an old Ampex eight-track tape machine by Gabriel Roth in Daptone Records’ House of Soul studios, the record drips with a warmth and spontaneity rarely found since the golden days of Muscle Shoals and Stax Records. Sharon’s voice, never stronger, evokes at once the raw power of Tina Turner, the moaning soulfulness of Mavis Staples, the rhythmic swagger of James Brown, and the melodic command of Aretha. From the lush Philly-soul fanfare that ushers in “The Game Gets Old” at the top of the record, to the stripped down Sam Cooke style “Mama Don¹t Like My Man” at the tail, the band dances seamlessly through both the most crafted and simple arrangements with subtlety and discipline. This is the “Daptone Sound” at its finest and is a welcome breath of fresh air. But most of all, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings’ I Learned the Hard Way is a celebration of, and a testament to, the soulful and beautiful possibilities of music.
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings’ new album “I Learned the Hard Way”, is now available via the Daptone Records Super Soul Super Store!
Produced by Bosco Mann and recorded on an Ampex eight-track tape machine by Gabriel Roth in Daptone Records’ House of Soul studios, this record drips with a warmth and spontaneity rarely found since the golden days of Muscle Shoals and Stax. Sharon’s raw power, rhythmic swagger, moaning soulfulness, and melodic command set her firmly alongside Tina Turner, James Brown, Mavis Staples, and Aretha as a fixture in the canon of soul music. From the lushPhilly-Soul fanfare that ushers in “The Game Gets Old” at the top of the record, to the stripped down Sam Cooke-style“Mama Don’t Like My Man” at the tail, the Dap-Kings dance seamlessly through both the most crafted and simple arrangements with subtlety and discipline. I Learned the Hard Way is the “Daptone Sound” at its finest.