Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, December 30, 2010. Everybody get on the dance floor! Holy Moly! I have been Dapped, Tapped and Zapped by the awesome Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings' show some nights ago. My composer/pianist friend, Leslie Steinweiss from Mannes School of Music arranged for us to see the show. His son, Homer has been the drummer. (and backbone for the group's groove and swing for some years. He has even written songs for the group) After Mark Ronson heard him drum, he dapped him, oh I mean tapped him as the meat and potatoes of the rhythm section to record his Amy Winehouse hit album "Back to Black." Also, check out "Make the Road by Walking" created with Tom Brenneck for Dunham Records! This was sampled by Jay-Z for his smash hit from American Gangster, “Roc Boys (and the Winner is…)” and when I say "Dunham Records" it is really vinyl!
Getting back to the show, Allen Toussaint was the warm-up act and he is one of the great New Orleans based songwriter/producer/ arranger and singer. And I must mention that his funky style honey-dipped piano playing is totally unique and is a complete musical meal all by itself. Close to the end of his set, he brought out the Dap Kings to join him (which included 3 horns) and I am always amazed at how well placed his syncopated horn parts are. Like the consummate producer that he is, he even directed the horn solos by pointing at the trumpet player and saying "trumpet" than "tenor" and then, "baritone" and then saying "trumpet and now everybody." And with a jazzy contrapuntal interplay flowing through the air, he looked at the audience and said "That's New Orleans!"
After an intermission, The Dap Kings came out and started the ball rolling with some tight funk playing that made me want to "shake and shimmy." After a few songs, the star of the show, Sharon Jones came out to join the band and I have not experienced this kind of non-stop exhilaration since watching James Brown during his "Living in America" tour!! Special favorite songs were "Window Shopping" and "100 Days, 100 Nights." Her patter is everything you want to know and her dancing is everything you want to see and her singing is like nothing you have ever heard. Infectious as can be and I burned my throat shouting, hooting and hollaring. (I explained that to my New Year's Eve audience at IDO SUSHI why my voice was froggy-toned that night.) I am thinking of checking out Sharon Jones again later this month on the 23rd in Poughkeepsie at the Bardavon Opera House. More on that.
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