blog post Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings prove that soul music is alive and well

We’re thrilled to once again be broadcasting a concert for you February 16th, by the remarkable New York-based band Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. You can also listen to the show online at Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings live in Winnipeg.

Just in case you don’t know, this is a band devoted to recreating not only the sounds, but the entire experience of classic soul, funk and R & B from those genres’ golden era: the mid-1960s through mid-1970s.

This was a time when concerts were immersive.  The band literally sucked you in and enveloped you, and for a time, you were transported. This was the era of seamless band choreography (not just hired dancers jumping around in front of the band), coordinated costumes, lighting-fast tempo and beat changes, and most of all, relentless grooves. Bands of this era, epitomized by James Brown’s Soul Revue, were rehearsed into the ground, and it showed. By contrast, the all-too familiar contemporary “concert experience” of two rappers criss-crossing the stage while yelling seems so incredibly inferior.

Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings have made it their mission to preserve the best elements from this era of music, while making their music just contemporary enough to appeal to audiences of today. It’s an approach that seems to be working: the age of people who attend their concerts ranges from teenagers to folks old enough to have been around during soul music’s golden era (and who probably still have the associated wardrobe buried in their closets).

The Dap Kings are also renowned as the group that made the sound that would become Amy Winehouse’s signature, but make no mistake: it is their live show where they reach their zenith. The folks in Winnipeg know; this was the Dap Kings’ second sold-out show there in five years.

Enjoy your dose of funk!

Peace,

A.C.