When soul music comes to your mind, one of the last places you might think about would be Minneapolis, Minnesota. Well, there’s a hip joint there called Dakota Jazz Club, and they get some hot groups that swing around the Midwest. On a cold Tundra night in December 2014, Sony Knight and his Stax sounding 7 piece band The Lakers delivered a sweaty set that got the staid Scandinavians stomping on the floor.
Knight has a vintage growling rasp to his delivery, and with a rhythm team of Casey O’Brien/b, Blair Krivanekj/g, Sam Harvey-Carlson/B3 and Eric Foss/dr and a horn section of Bryan Highhill/tp, Tony Beaderstadt/tb and Cole Pulice/sax (is that his REAL name? Get it?). At times you get a hard hitting Tower of Power groove with snapping horns and a hard backbeat as Knight pants out “Baby, Baby, Baby” and he’ll get you up on your feet to celebrate on “Get Up and Dance.” Hard hitting funk with a rapid fire B3 makes you think you’ve got tickets to see the Fabulous Flames on James Brownish “Through With You” and a hyped up “Cave Man.” Foreboding blues has Knight cast a long shadow on “Where Did You Sleep Last Night” and shows he can carry a torch on “When Y:ou’re Gone.” He testifies and funks up The Beatles’ “Day Tripper” and tells a story with “Sugar Man” and ends the set with a sweaty blues on ”Hey Girl.” Knight and the Lakers give an old school lesson on boogalooing soul here.
Secret Stash Records
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