FDF Volume 4 Issue 384 - Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings - Dap Dippin'

Album – Dap-Dippin’ With…
Artist - Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings
Key Players – Otis Youngblood – tenor saxophone. Jack Zapata – baritone saxophone. Binky Griptite – guitar. Bugaloo Velez – congas. Earl Maxton – organ.  Bosco Mann – bass. Homer Steinweiss – drums. Anda Szilagyi - trumpet
Produced By - Bosco Mann

Release Date-  2002

Overview – This is the debut album from the band.  This also helped launch the label (Daptone). The funk/soul band was based out of New York.  

FDF Comments (aka “the songs”) – The album opens with a track called “Introduction”.  Griptite emcees and introduces the band over a real funky beat.  The song fades and then “Got a Thing on My Mind” comes up.  The deep funk bass and off tempo back beat finds Jones quickly singing her verse.  Your head, your feet (or both) all follow the tempo.  The band is TIGHT.  The band does a solid cover of “What Have You Done for Me Lately” that actually has more funk to it than you’d ever believe.  To me, its better than Miss Jacksons…there..I said it.  “The Dap Dip” follows.  The band has created a dance (and the steps on how to do it are in the liner notes).  Jones gives instructions over a funk bed.  Basic idea, just cut loose. “Give Me a Chance” has some great conga work and the chopping guitar really grabs you, but as always Mann’s bass stands right out.  The horns into “Got to Be The Way it is” and the backbeat is held with percussion instruments and Jones is spitting lyrics with venom, but it all is charming and wonderful.  It has to be the funk right? Maxton gets showcased on the organ for the first time as a “lead”.  “Make it Good To Me” and “Ain’t it Hard” are two different spectrum's for the band.  “Make it” is similar to much of the record while “Ain’t it” has a great long organ intro and a rumbling bass line that finds Jones in much more of laid back delivery. Slowest track on the album to this point and Jones sounds great.  There are even some backing vocals to fill it out nicely.  We are back to what makes the album so great when “Pick it Up, Lay it in the Cut”.  If you are not moving when you hear this, I really can’t help you.  The album ends with “Casella Walk”, an absolute burner of a track.  It has it all!  Tucked 7 minutes after the song ends there is an instrumental song.  Focus’ largely on the bass and guitar yet is awash with horns.  There is a reason some of them ended up playing on “Back in Black” released a few years later by Amy Winehouse.

Where are they Now? -  Sharon Jones died on November 18, 2016 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.  Nothing specifically has been confirmed with regard to the status of the band.

FDF Overall Take/Was it worth Dusting Off? – This is a fun record.  Sharon Jones was an absolute powerhouse and presence in a live setting and it actually works on the record too.  A talented crew of band members and a charismatic singer with catchy hooks.  Grab this, throw it on at a party and count the number of people who will ask you “who is this..its great”.

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