by SCOTT C

There really aren't too many funk and soul figures gigging today that fully embody and ooze authenticity the way that Sharon Jones does. Backed by the incomparable sounds of the Dap Kings, she continues to push real rhythm & blues beyond the confines of its retro trappings, getting to the heart of funk and soul for a whole new generation. The last time I went to the Daptone Web site, I found a video clip of Sharon and the guys strutting their stuff on Conan O'Brien, an opportunity they gladly welcomed.

"Yeah, they called us up," explains Jones, on the phone from a van at the U.S./Canada border. "We knew somebody over there who said there might be an opening, and then, boom! It opened up and there we were. Maybe if someone drops out on Letterman, he'll call us up."

Sharon and the boys will be Dap-dipping around Canada for the next couple of weeks, making sure to be back in NYC in time for Sharon's birthday on May 4. "Hopefully I can find some time to go fishing," says the birthday girl.

On her new LP Naturally, she once again shows that the name of the game is versatility, with tunes running from her usual gritty funk to Northern soul rollers and sweet ballads. "You can't keep it gritty all the time, but we just have to go with how we feel each year."

Although she is clearly a standout star in the world of millennial funk, Jones still insists that she likes to pay homage to the people that inspire her. "The top black people on my list who I want to meet - James Brown. I would love to sit down and have a proper conversation with that man. He's told me he's proud of me and the band and what we're doing, but we haven't really talked. I'd also really like to meet Oprah Winfrey."

I told Sharon I'd cry if she ever got on Oprah, and that I'd see what I could do about getting her on the show. "I know if I was on there I'd be up there crying too, so you wouldn't be alone!"

With DJ Kobal at El Salon tonight, Thursday, April 28, 9 p.m., $15

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