I am a huge, huge fan of Sharon Jones and the Daptone label. All the musicians involved in the Daptone family are clearly music fans - fanatics, really - who have lived, breathed, loved, and cried classic soul, r & b, and funk tracks from the past 50 years. These are folks who have worshiped at the altar of Sam Cooke, James Brown, Ike & Tina, Otis Redding - and who were determined to pay homage to these greats by keeping the spirit of that music going. Just as it's daunting for any contemporary rock band to dare try to measure up to the Beatles or the Stones, it's equally daunting for contemporary funk/soul acts to write and record authentic, gritty music that can measure up to the likes of Sam Cooke or Wilson Pickett. That the Daptone crew has consistently pulled it off is no faint praise (for a terrific overview of Jones, Daptone, and musical director Gabriel Roth, check out this great 2008 piece from the New York Times).
Today's musical discovery, the Pepper Pots, has a touch of the Daptone magic, even though the band is not on the label. The 11 piece ensemble, which hails from just north of Catalonia, Spain, has recently released their third disc, "The Pepper Pots - Now!" The disc was produced by Binky Griptite, a member of Jones' touring band and an ingrained personality in the Daptone roster, and he has helped focus the band's energy, songwriting, and presentation in what amounts to a quantum leap beyond their previous efforts. With Griptite at the helm, the Pots have essentially put together a modern-day Motown record circa 1965, with a vintage girl group sound, a relentless dance floor aesthetic, and an attention to detail that has all the hallmarks of a Daptone release.
"The Pepper Pots - Now!" has been lurking below the radar since its 2009 release, and the disc deserves far more attention than it has received. Below is one of my favorites on the record, and one listen should be enough to convince folks to head to Amazon and check this band out....
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