Tremendous work from Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings – a set that took a bit longer to hit the racks than expected, but which really shows a richness that more than makes up for the delay! Sharon's a singer who's always been great – but she steps out strongly here with a sense of maturity that seems to take her vocals even farther than before – and The Dap Kings are more than ready to match her energy with some funky work of their own! Jones has gone through a lot in recent years – both with the band and in her own personal life – and the record's a proud summation of life's challenges and triumphs, served up in the instant-classic style that has made Sharon one of the greatest living soul singers of the past few decades. Bosco Mann knocked things out of the park with his raw production – and also wrote a good number of tracks on the set too – and titles include "Making Up & Breaking Up", "Long Time Wrong Time", "People Don't Get What They Deserve", "Retreat", "Stranger To My Happiness", and "Now I See". CD

Hot mustard mix deep funk instrumentation with hip hop inspired beats – really linking together two generations of funky sounds with a very unique approach! The core of the group is Nick Carusos on bass and Jack Powell on guitars – yet the later also serves up all these breakbeats throughout – the spare, lean kind that people where first pulling from records in the early years of hip hop – then layered with live instrumentation from the pair, plus work from others on trumpet, trombone, and a whole host of cool organ and keyboard lines! Alanna Royale sings on the final track – "The End Of Time" – and all other cuts are instrumental, and include "Whole Grain", "Stono Hustle", "Gravy Boat", "Butcher Block", "Low Boy", and "The Golden Beet". CD