Sharon Jones was born in Augusta, Georgia in the late 50s, and it is more than coincidence that she comes from the hometown of James Brown.  From her church singing background, she developed a gritty, emotive, soulful singing style that at times sounds like a female version of Brown.  She spent most of her career fronting a number of local funk bands and as a session vocalist (sometimes under the name Miss Lafaye) before signing a recording contract with the funk and soul Desco label in the 90s, recording a number of 45s (yes 45s!) that garnered for her an underground following in the US and an even bigger following in Europe.  Upon Desco's demise in the late 90s, she signed with the similar Daptone Records and began working with that label's house group, the Dap-Kings.

The Dap-Kings were formed from two of Desco's bands, the Soul Providers and the Mighty Imperials, and they have served as the back up band for all the Daptone singers, but most notably Jones.  Consisting of Homer "Funky-Foot" Steinweiss (Drums), Binky Griptite (Guitar), Boogaloo Velez (Conga), David Guy (Trumpet), Bosco "Bass" Mann (Bass, Piano, Vibes, Tambourine), Neal Sugarman (Tenor Saxophone), Ed Michaels (Baritone Saxophone) and Tom Brenneck (Guitar, Piano), the group is a sort of modern-day Booker T & the MGs, providing a tight, funky backdrop for Jones' powerful vocals and Bosco Mann's fine, soulful compositions.

In 2002, Jones and the Dap-Kings released Dap-Dipping with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, a fantastic, raw funk-soul album that solidified Jones' status among soul purists and landed her the label "The Queen of Funk" in the U.K.

Following a couple years of regular international touring, the act went back to the studio to put together a second album, Naturally, which was released in 2005.  More anticipated than its predecessor, Naturally received advance attention in many corners, and it helped that the first single released from the disc, "How Long Do I Have to Wait for You?" sounded like a #1 soul hit, circa 1972.  A great Mann composition, "How Long" has the feel of an instant classic and is a near perfect Summer record.  The rest of the album sounds has a similar Memphis-style retro feel, from the JB-like "My Man Is A Mean Man" and "Your Thing Is A Drag," to the bluesy ballads "Standing In Your Love" and "All Over Again" to the almost unrecognizable take on Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land,"  Start to finish, Naturally is a gem for lovers of 70s Southern soul, clearly utilizing the style of that era, but not sounding a bit tired or derivative.  And the performance by both Jones and the Dap-Kings is top rate. 

I don't have much doubt that Naturally will be a treat for Sharon Jones' sizeable underground fan base, but it should also open the door to wider acceptance of this extremely talented singer and band.  Highly recommended.

by Chris Rizik