Lee Fields couldn’t have been a more ideal support for Sharon Jones as they go way back. Sharron was a regular gospel and local backing singer whilst she worked as a correctional officer at Rykers Island prison in New York. It was only in 1996 when she took a mid-career break, and was a backing singer in a recording session for Lee Fields that she was finally notice. The rest is history as they say, and the two are now performing together for what was to be an unforgettable night of funk and soul.

 

Strolling onto stage like a clean-cut 60’s all-American college band – sharp suits and short hair – the impeccably tight six-piece, The Expressions, laid down a soul groove which was to be the promise of the evening to come. Lee Fields, a man who had his first release in 1969, is now touring his latest album ‘Emma Jean’ which still has the same powerful impact as his earlier records had. He came on stage in a humble manner, wearing a silver jacket and classic cuban heels. The first song showed how cool the man still is, producing a prolific howl which confirmed why he was once known as Little JB. Similarities with James Brown don’t end there as he has recently given his voice to 4 songs on the upcoming biopic Get On Up, co-produced by Mick Jagger.

 

Darting from stage left to right, he was determined to get the crowd moving, and with his infectious charisma he had no problem in doing that. Fields was putting 100% in to his performance and the audience were more than happy to reciprocate. His voice was growing stronger and slicker as his set went on, becoming the epitome of funk and soul. Songs like ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’ and ‘Faithful Man’, obviously deeply personal to him, producing so many belting screams from his amazing rasping voice. This was a theme throughout, along with Fields’ James Brown-esque shuffle and constant crowd interaction, there were uncontrollable smiles all around. An exceptional performance leaving everyone wanting more.

 

A quick switch over, and the Dap-Kings are on stage playing a couple of their own songs to hype up an already buzzing crowd. Backing singers Saun and Starr (The Dappettes) then came on doing a few of their forthcoming numbers, before Sharon Jones took to the stage. As Danny Ray did for James Brown, band MC Binky Griptite exhorted the crowd with a long and (slightly) excessive introduction that would be more suited to royalty – their muse, their shining star, Ms. Sharon Jones. Wearing a red sequined dress, the jubilant Jones strutted on stage to an elated applause.

 

Starting off with ‘Retreat!’, off her newest album Give The People What They Want, you knew that Sharon was going to live up to her reputation of being a phenomenally high energy performer. This is even more amazing, as she only finished having chemotherapy on New Year’s Eve 2013 after having pancreatic cancer. You would have never known. Especially in the song ‘Give The People What They Want’, where she literally gave the crowd a run through her favourite dances including the boogaloo, the pony, the twist, the swim and the jerk. It was exhausting just to watch, but an exuberant Sharon Jones never took her foot of the gas, bringing on a couple of ladies from the audience to jive with her to a great rendition of ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’.

 

The 10-piece Dap-Kings, in my eyes the greatest R&B band out there at the moment, frequently illustrated their prowess by making sure the night was a ceaseless funk and soul extravaganza, as well as keeping up with high octane Sharon Jones. A resemblance to Tina Turner kept coming into mind, and when she did a brilliant impersonation of her, this affirmed that Tina was clearly a big influence on the way Sharron conducted herself on stage. Stopping for nothing, even when her mic had become unplugged, she still continued belting out roaring vocals.

 

Sharon Jones’ performance was inspirational and palpable – giving cathartic release to everyone, but most importantly, herself. When she sang ‘Get Up, Get Out’ about how she beat her illness to perform again, it almost felt like we were all taking part in a gospel performance with the crowd clapping their hands and replying in raptures to what she said. It’s hard to choose a highlight from a show with so much passion, energy and happiness. Lee Fields joined Sharon on stage for ‘Stranded With Your Love’ which include a very funky passage with the pair to-ing and fro-ing their vocal abilities. ‘100 Days, 100 Nights’ drew the biggest applause, before Sharron Jones & The Dap Kings encored with the uplifting ‘Stranger To My Happiness’.

 

These are two performers who could have held their own with the likes of James Brown, Wilson Pickett, Tina Turner and Aretha Franklin on the old Chitlin Circuit of 60s America. Backed by 2 bands with the kind of tightness that comes from relentless touring and producing soul funk of the highest quality, it is only right that they now reap the success they are due.