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8:30 P.M. MARCH 4, TRUSTEES THEATER
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings do automagically what trained technicians with expensive equipment can spend days trying to perfect in the studio: Capture the rich, sultry sounds of the classic soul era defined by names like James Brown and Aretha Franklin — and they do it with, get this, real instruments. Born in Augusta, Ga., but raised in Brooklyn, Jones struggled with an early music career — which included a brief side job as a prison guard at Rikers Island — before her sultry stage presence and her band’s retro sound found their audience. Since catching on nationwide, the band has been everywhere, releasing four albums, opening for Prince last month at Madison Square Garden and placing a song in the opening credits to the 2009 George Clooney film “Up in the Air.” Jones spoke from her mother’s house in Queens.
Q: Do you ever get back to Georgia?
A: I just bought a home in South Carolina, right over from Augusta. I wanted to get my mother out of these projects. I got my sister, whose spouse recently passed away. I was like, “Look, come on down here, move with Mom. I bought a house. You take care of Mom while I’m back on the road.” Hopefully, maybe another year or two, I can get a place of my own somewhere. But right now, I finally got my mother out of the projects.
Q: What was it like opening for Prince?
A: We did that song “A Love Bizarre.” He had me do a duet with him and everything; he called in the horn section. He had Binky (Griptite, the Dap-Kings’ guitarist) play his guitar. Prince don’t let nobody play his guitar!
At the after party, Mos Def got on stage. He wanted to actually rap while Prince was playing. I don’t know anything about rap. When he came on stage, I thought he wanted to dance. I was like, “You played Chuck Berry in that Cadillac movie: Do that Chuck Berry guitar dance!” And he did it. And then I made him do the boogaloo with me. It was cool.
Q: You just got back from a big tour of Australia. What’s the reception like for your music in places where they don’t have the same soul/funk traditions?
A: They don’t have the tradition but they are wanting it so bad. We ended up in this place like two or three nights because we keep selling out. They are like, “This is not here. We don’t have soul singers, we don’t have people doing this music here.”
Q: Is it true you just got your first iPod a year ago?
A: Yes I did!
Q: Does that mean you have a big vinyl collection?
No, actually, the Dap-Kings, were the ones going around to record collectors. I’m glad they’re not going away. Keep making stereos, keep making those turntables, cause we’re going to do vinyl. DJs are still spinning vinyl.
I guess that’s why we try to keep doing soul music. Over the years, pop music stopped having those horns and the guitars. They started getting keyboards and synthesizers. I’m glad now that we’re trying to bring these young kids back. Keep the music and instruments in schools. Keep music live so people can see the difference in playing some digital stuff on keyboards and having someone really getting up there and blowing. Keep playing real music.
Q: So how do you listen to your own music?
A: When I’m at home, I’m just looking for peace and quiet. That’s why I like to go fishing. When you’re fishing, you don’t have no music playing, no iPod, only you out there. You’re listening to nature. Give the ears a rest. Other than that, we we like to listen to Fela (Kuti), Otis (Redding), James (Brown). We just put on old stuff, a collection of it. And I think that’s how we write and we do music the way we do because we live soul music, we don’t just play it on stage.
WHERE TO BEGIN
• “Inspiration Information”: A Shuggie Otis cover, released on the 2009 Dark Was the Night benefit CD, that highlights Jones’ ability to make a 30-year-old classic relevant to new generations.
• “Better Things to Do”: The standout track from the band’s latest release, I Learned The Hard Way, features the full texture of Jones’ voice and a summery, upbeat trumpet backing.
• “How Long Do I have to Wait For You?”: Classic rich soul sound, mixed with a funk beat and the vocal sass of a woman who has earned her right to sing.
