Club Notes: Sharon Jones' deep soul (VIDEO)

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings know how to throw a solid soul and funk party.

The Brooklyn collective is bringing the party on the road with its new CD, I Learned the Hard Way. Tuesday, the soulful band tapes an episode of the "etown" radio show at the Boulder Theater.

Jones and the Dap-Kings have been playing their brand of retro-tinged music since the '90s. The group's built a solid fanbase on the road, but was introduced to mainstream listeners when it was featured on Amy Winehouse's breakout Back to Black.

"I was just given this gift when I was young and I've been doing it ever since," Jones said. "I knew right then and there, that was my calling."

Jones and the Dap-Kings serve up a tasty helping of vintage soul, funk and R&B music. The music pays homage to the past, but the band adds a fresh, contemporary spin to the sounds.

"The music we do just comes naturally to the Dap-Kings," Jones said. "The band knows me and they know how to write songs that kill. When I met these guys they were collecting classic 45s and albums, so they're hip to this sound.

"We just make songs that come up with the right

rhythms -- and when it sounds right, we do it. Our first songs were more funk-oriented, but now we have a mixture of sounds and we got more vocals. These guys are serious about playing!"

Jones and her band were developing a solid following, but it was Winehouse's Back to Black that really helped the group break through.

The CD became a monster hit for Winehouse and it featured the Dap-Kings on a solid chunk of the record. The hit songs "Rehab" and "You Know I'm No Good" feature extensive work by Jones' soul band.

Winehouse was so impressed with the act that she used the Dap-Kings as the backup band for her first U.S. tour.

"Now people are getting to know our band," Jones said. "People had heard of us before, but once (producer) Mark (Ronson) and Amy used the Dap-Kings, they really started to listen to us on the radio. That helped us cross over to mainstream.

"We were already at that point, but it just helped out. Every little bit helps when you're out there getting things done."

Jones and the Dap-Kings got another big boost courtesy of the Oscar-nominated film "Up in the Air."

The band performed a new rendition of the Woody Guthrie classic "This Land Is Your Land" for the opening credits of the George Clooney film.

"We just funked the song up and made it our own," Jones said. "That's what we do. We just put some soul into it.

"They played it at the Academy Awards. I missed that part, but fans started calling me up about it.

For now, Jones and the band are hitting the road behind I Learned the Hard Way.

"I'm really excited about this record," Jones said. "I was finally able to listen to it in the last couple of weeks and I really liked it.

"We just do what we've been doing on this record. It's heavier on the orchestration and vocals -- and that's the big difference. We're going to have our record release parties April 30 and May 1 at the Apollo Theater in New York."