That's dedication for you. But it would be wrong to assume from this that the 53-year-old singer and her funky crew are nothing more than a mere nostalgia act wallowing in the past. Sure, their distinctive sound – equal parts Stax and Motown with some Hi, Fame, King and Philly International elements thrown into the mix – harks back to soul music's halcyon days in the early '70s, but the music is driven by the band's 21st century sensibilities which results in it sounding fresh rather than dated, hip rather than old hat.
Maybe that's why producer Mark Ronson used the Dap-Kings as Amy Winehouse's backing band on 'Back To Black.' They sound classic and contemporary at the same time. This new set, 'I Learned The Hard Way,' is the best offering yet by Jones & The Dap-Kings. The opening track, the magnificent 'The Game Gets Old,' has a grandiose brass arrangement that brings to mind symphonic Philly soul; the mid-tempo, Southern-flavoured 'Window Shopping' recalls the cheating songs of soul sirens Millie Jackson and Shirley Brown; and 'She Ain't A Child No More' is an infectious '60s style dancer with twanging Duane Eddy-esque guitar and gospel-inflected call-and-response vocal arrangements.
Other highlights include the Sam Cooke-like 'Mama Don't Like My Man' – which boasts a beautiful simplicity in terms of its sparse, gospel-infused arrangement – a testifying Otis Redding-style ballad, 'I'll Be True,' the frisky, upbeat 'Without A Heart' and the earthy, blues-drenched slow jam, 'If You Call.' In fact, there's not a weak track to be found here – even the set's lone instrumental, 'The Reason,' is right on the money. So, then, a hugely impressive and satisfying fourth opus from the prodigiously-talented Miss Jones and her cohorts.
It's no wonder they're beginning to make inroads into the mainstream, as the presence of one of their tracks on the new George Clooney film, 'Up In The Air,' attests. It looks like Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings are about to explode big time. About time too.
