Featured Tunes: Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

When an announcer suavely introduces our fearless lead singer over some super heavy funk, "Dap-Dipping with the Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings," there’s no stop to the movement. "Sharon Jones, Sharon Jones, Sharon Jones...exciting dance floors across the nation with her dynamic new sound." Think old school James Brown soul laced with a certain East Bay Oakland-style funk.

Based in Brooklyn, New York, Sharon Jones first hit the scene as a backup singer working with soul legend Lee Fields in 1996, but has been singing since she was a child in local churches and NYC funk bands. Before she made it big, she worked as a prison guard at Rikers Island and a security guard in an armored car. Tough is an understatement. See this woman live and you’ll get the picture about 35 seconds after she hits the stage. Working with various incarnations prior, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings were officially formed in the summer of 2001 after scoring a club gig in Barcelona. Sharon Jones commands the stage like a young Tina Turner and works the band into the funkified frenzy. It's only a matter of time before you start doing the Dap dip. Just wait. Here's a snip from her recent performance at Amoeba...