Sharon Jones

In a year of great music, the Dark Was the Night compilation ranks near the top. Now comes Dark Was the Night: The Concert, a truly mammoth undertaking. Members of The National curated the May 3 event to benefit AIDS research with performances by David Byrne, The Dirty Projectors, Feist, Bon Iver, Sharon Jones and My Brightest Diamond.

The funk/soul band mixes percussion, trumpets, guitars, organs and bass, but its key ingredient is Jones' incredibly soulful voice. The group expertly emulates classic '60s and '70s funk. Hear the band perform a concert from WXPN and the Fillmore at the TLA in Philadelphia.

The funk/soul band mixes percussion, trumpets, guitars, organs, and bass, but its key ingredient is Jones' incredibly soulful voice. The group expertly emulates classic '60s and '70s funk. Hear the band in a performance and interview.

Sharon Jones does not hold back. She ranges vocally from smooth, soulful funk to a brazen belt, and she can out-dance almost anyone, having been raised part gospel soul-stirrer, part James Brown disciple. Hear the queen of funk in a high-energy session recorded by KEXP.

Sharon Jones has great talent and a great story. The "queen of funk" has faced music honchos and wildly shifting music trends, but has more than earned her nickname. Hear Jones and her band, The Dap-Kings, in an interview and performance from WFUV.

Soul may be a full-fledged style of music or just a flavor, but whether you like it straight-up or blended with other music and innovations, there's a sense that soul is always going to be part of the mix. Newcomers Sharon Jones and Eli "Paperboy" Reed share their thoughts.

Jones and her band The Dap-Kings have been recording and touring together since 2005. On their third album, 100 Days, 100 Nights, they sound better than ever. Jones recently took a break to dish on her band and a few of her high-profile collaborators.

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings' "100 Days, 100 Nights" is about love, not some supersized flood; according to the singer, that's how long it takes for a man's heart to unfold. Meanwhile, her dynamite backup band chips in the brassy punctuation marks.

Host Bob Boilen looks at some of the most anticipated CDs coming out before the end of the year, with NPR reviewers Meredith Ochs, Tom Moon and Robert Christgau. Hear new music from Radiohead, Neil Young, Youssou N'Dour and more.

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings' "100 Days, 100 Nights" is about love, not some supersized flood; according to the singer, that's how long it takes for a man's heart to unfold. Meanwhile, her dynamite backup band chips in the brassy punctuation marks.