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Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings are Soul-Sensational

Brooklyn songbird Sharon Jones strutted onstage like a woman donewrong, taking time to groove with no less than five audience membersplucked from the packed crowd at the Phoenix last night (Nov. 13). “Igotta get my mojo working!” she testified, tossing her long braids andcocking a hip as concertgoers sashayed in the aisles.

Clad ina black baby doll dress highlighting curves you just don’t see inCanada, the ex-correctional facility officer Jones was pure badditudeon tracks such as “Let Them Knock,” “Keep On Looking” and theformidable “Nobody’s Baby” off recent junior full-length 100 Days 100 Nights.The dapper Dap-Kings, a motley crew of mustachioed, porkpie-hatted anddouble-breasted suit wearing musicians (who also back Amy Winehouse)were Gillette-sharp, with undulating bass lines, bright blasts of brassand rhythmic bongo drumming that set Jones passionate voice aflame. Asfans begged for an encore, Jones sang her guts out to a cover of JamesBrown’s “It’s a Man’s, Man’s World.” A wicked dose of retro joy steepedin experience, you couldn’t help but wonder, Aretha who?

We Asked: Sharon Jones recently played a part in the upcoming Denzel Washington flick The Great Debaters. What’s your favorite musician-turned-actor role?