(US - Soul/Funk)

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings have come a long way since their humble beginnings nearly a decade ago. Steeped within the gilded and gritty sounds of gospel, soul and funk, this nine-piece Brooklyn collective has continued to electrify fans, disc jockeys, critics, record collectors, and bloggers the world-over with their authentic, heart-felt sound. As distinguished as their recordings may be, however, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings have truly become renowned thanks to their incredible live show, not to mention their relentless touring. And though it’s certainly no easy task to keep such a vast ensemble on the road, the band continues to pack hundreds of clubs worldwide.

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings have appeared on CNN, VH1, David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, BBC Television, NPR radio shows like Morning Edition and Fresh Air with Terry Gross. Ms. Jones celebrated her silver-screen debut in the Denzel Washington-led film, The Great Debaters. In addition, Sharon has hit the studio and stage with the likes of David Byrne, They Might Be Giants, Rufus Wainwright, Lou Reed and Michael Bublé. Not to be outdone, the Dap-Kings' musical chops have also been in high-demand. Legendary soul icon Al Green tapped their services for his Grammy-winning release, Lay It Down; Public Enemy beatmaster/producer Hank Shocklee made use of them for the soundtrack for the film, American Gangster; and Mark Ronson utilized them for much of Amy Winehouse’s GRAMMY-winning Back to Black (one of those GRAMMYs went bandleader/producer/label impresario Gabe Roth for his engineering work, too).

On May 4th, 2010, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings will mark history with ther fourth album I Learned the Hard Way. Produced by Bosco Mann and recorded in its entirety on an old Ampex eight-track tape machine by Gabriel Roth in Daptone Records’ House of Soul studios, the record drips with a warmth and spontaneity rarely found since the golden days of Muscle Shoals and Stax Records.