Brooklyn's Daptone Records is, as ever, your made-to-measure label for tight retro soul and funk on the one. The figurehead is undoubtedly Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, who have already dropped by the AB twice. The Dap-Kings are in turn the label's inhouse band (like Stax had Booker T. & The MG’s as inhouse band) and they are also the constant on Amy Winehouse's ‘Back To Black’. Daptone recording artists like The Sugerman Three and The Budas Band also have their followings. The same is to be expected with the arrival of Naomi Shelton and The Gospel Queens. This is soul as it could have been played in the 60's by say Aretha Franklin and it still sounds extremely up-to-date and modern. Think Mavis Staples too. Naomi’s voice sounds quite raw, almost male, and sounds exquisite in combination with backing vocals from Gospel Queens.
Even though Naomi has been singing in the church since childhood, she debuts in style at the age of 66 (!) with ‘What have You Done, My Brother?’. Furthermore, in her backing band: Naomi-discoverer Cliff Driver and a number of The Dap-Kings members. If Raphael Saadiq alone can't satisfy your appetite this fall: here’s Naomi. Fireworks guaranteed!

NAOMI SHELTON AND THE GOSPEL QUEENS – ‘What Have You Done’