Album review: Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, 'I Learned the Hard Way'
3.5 stars (out of 4)
Sharon Jones has been toiling away as a background singer since the ‘70s, working the soul, R&B; and gospel fringes without much notice. She even took security jobs at a prison and with an armored-car company in between singing gigs. That hard-scrabble background underlines her late-arriving success, and makes her every word feel like the truth.
What separates her work from other veteran singers is the original songwriting and arranging of the Dap-Kings, an in-demand ensemble that helped elevate Amy Winehouse to stardom with their work on her 2006 breakthrough album, “Back to Black,” and subsequent tour. Together, Jones and the Dap-Kings have evolved one of the most dynamic stage shows in contemporary music, and recorded four excellent studio albums topped by “I Learned the Hard Way” on their custom Daptone label.
Sharon Jones has been toiling away as a background singer since the ‘70s, working the soul, R&B; and gospel fringes without much notice. She even took security jobs at a prison and with an armored-car company in between singing gigs. That hard-scrabble background underlines her late-arriving success, and makes her every word feel like the truth.
What separates her work from other veteran singers is the original songwriting and arranging of the Dap-Kings, an in-demand ensemble that helped elevate Amy Winehouse to stardom with their work on her 2006 breakthrough album, “Back to Black,” and subsequent tour. Together, Jones and the Dap-Kings have evolved one of the most dynamic stage shows in contemporary music, and recorded four excellent studio albums topped by “I Learned the Hard Way” on their custom Daptone label.
Continue reading "Album review: Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, 'I Learned the Hard Way'" »