Sharon Jones: Godmother of Soul?

Sharon Jones, the middle-aged ex-prison guard with incredible soul-singing chops, is commonly dubbed “a female James Brown.” Hailing from Brown’s hometown, expounding upon the funky, soulful sound that Brown helped pioneer, the two doubtless share much in common. On Tuesday night, with the support of her eight-piece band, the Dap Kings, Jones proved to a sold-out Crystal Ballroom just how accurate the comparison is. Her excited whoops, shrieks, and hollers; her sassy, salty jive talk; her vintage dance moves (e.g., the Augusta boogaloo); and her intense, unwavering energy all underscored her role as Godmother of Soul.

This year, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings released their fourth record, I Learned the Hard Way, another masterpiece of classic soul songwriting, genius instrument arrangements, and stunning vocal performance. Swimming against the currents of the digital age, the Dap Kings record their real (that is, non-synthesized) instruments on analogue equipment only, producing the subtle sound quality of old soul vinyl. Who cares about musical innovation? If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. And there ain’t nothing broke about Motown-era soul and funk.

At their Portland appearance, Jones and her band—a trumpeter, two sax-wielders, two guitarists, a bass player, two percussionists, and two harmonizing backup divas—played a mix of new hits and old standbys. Sharon’s showwomanship was jaw-dropping; by the show’s close, she was sweat drenched and hoarse. As for the Dap Kings, a virtuoso chanteuse like Jones couldn’t ask for better accompaniment; unlike most bands of such scale, they played as one, no one member outshining another. They were an evenly stretched, well-primed canvas upon which Sharon Jones, soul’s badass godmother, applied her vibrant vocal color.

Rated: Eighty out of Degrees Fahrenheit

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 27th, 2010 at 1:48 am. It is filed under Music. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.