2008 Woodie Awards
Dap Dippin' in 2008
Artist to Watch: Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings
Suffolk Journal
Issue date: 1/23/08 Section: Arts
If you didn't hear about Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings in 2007, you are sure to see their name this year. This New York-based eight-piece funk band was the music behind Amy Winehouse's hit album Back to Black. Although not featured on Winehouse's disc, Sharon Jones, the 51-year-old front woman of the band, is considered by many to be one of the best soul singers of the neo-soul sound.
Jones came late to the music world in 1996 after working on various jobs, including a position as a guard at New York's Riker's Island prison. After singing back-up in various groups, she formed the Dap Kings in 2000. Over the past eight years, the group has released three albums on their independent label, Daptone Records. Also, Jones has written songs for various films such as Waitress (2007), Mission: Impossible II (2000), and Rain Man (1988). But despite their success, the Dap Kings have remained independent and, at one time, most of their albums were only available on vinyl.
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings's funk and soul sound is definitely retro, but the energy of their performances, not to mention Jones' no-nonsense powerful vocals and engaging stage presence, are what make them stand out among other current acts with a soul and funk sound, such as Joss Stone. This is not merely an attempt to recreate vintage 1960's soul, but a continuation of that tradition.
In September of last year, the Dap Kings released 100 Days, 100 Nights (Daptone, 2007), which brought moderate critical acclaim and Jones played a minor role in a Denzel Washington film, The Great Debaters, released last month. The Dap Kings, sans Sharon Jones, were also hired as the house band for MTV's upcoming Video Music Awards. While the group was considered to be an underground act, the success of Winehouse's album and other exposure has recently brought the group into the spotlight.
As Jones put it to the New York Times in September last year, Winehouse's producer "came to us to get the sound they wanted behind their music. We were just sitting here minding our own business, doing our little 45s and albums, and all of a sudden they were like, 'I want your sound.'"
It seems as if many people in the entertainment industry are out for their sound, and 2008 will surely hold many opportunities for the group. Currently, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings are on tour in Texas and the Midwest before an appearance at the Coachella Music Festival in Indo, CA. However, the group is stopping by their home city of New York for a date at the Beacon Theatre on Feb. 12.
Jones came late to the music world in 1996 after working on various jobs, including a position as a guard at New York's Riker's Island prison. After singing back-up in various groups, she formed the Dap Kings in 2000. Over the past eight years, the group has released three albums on their independent label, Daptone Records. Also, Jones has written songs for various films such as Waitress (2007), Mission: Impossible II (2000), and Rain Man (1988). But despite their success, the Dap Kings have remained independent and, at one time, most of their albums were only available on vinyl.
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings's funk and soul sound is definitely retro, but the energy of their performances, not to mention Jones' no-nonsense powerful vocals and engaging stage presence, are what make them stand out among other current acts with a soul and funk sound, such as Joss Stone. This is not merely an attempt to recreate vintage 1960's soul, but a continuation of that tradition.
In September of last year, the Dap Kings released 100 Days, 100 Nights (Daptone, 2007), which brought moderate critical acclaim and Jones played a minor role in a Denzel Washington film, The Great Debaters, released last month. The Dap Kings, sans Sharon Jones, were also hired as the house band for MTV's upcoming Video Music Awards. While the group was considered to be an underground act, the success of Winehouse's album and other exposure has recently brought the group into the spotlight.
As Jones put it to the New York Times in September last year, Winehouse's producer "came to us to get the sound they wanted behind their music. We were just sitting here minding our own business, doing our little 45s and albums, and all of a sudden they were like, 'I want your sound.'"
It seems as if many people in the entertainment industry are out for their sound, and 2008 will surely hold many opportunities for the group. Currently, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings are on tour in Texas and the Midwest before an appearance at the Coachella Music Festival in Indo, CA. However, the group is stopping by their home city of New York for a date at the Beacon Theatre on Feb. 12.
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