Last night’s Sharon Jones show was as close to a religious experience as anything I’ve witnessed in a very long time. Backed by The Dap-Kings (whom double as Amy Winehouse’s backing troupe as well), Sharon performed a 2-hour set that was damn near perfect. Equal parts early ’70s Aretha, late ’70s Tina, mid ’80s George Clinton plus a sound entirely her own, Sharon Jones melds funk & soul into a modern & explosive whirlpool.

Cheers were at a fever pitch all evening long but they surely reached their peak during the set-closing, ’100 Days, 100 Nights’. Of which, Sharon simply introduced as ‘a song about myself’. For an encore, she tore through James Brown’s classic track, ‘It’s A Man’s World’, and even spent some time at the piano for a tender and passionate version of ‘Answer Me’.

As someone who has only recently discovered Sharon’s brilliance (shame on me), I left the gig aching for another opportunity to live it all over again. Europeans, mark this one down with a big gold star on your calendars – view all of her upcoming UK dates (in April) here.

Learn more about Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings at their (extensive) official site.

MP3: Sharon Jones – 100 Days, 100 Nights [alt link]