Adam Deitch is one of the leaders of the modern funk scene. As the drummer in Lettuce and Break Science, Deitch has wowed fans with his songwriting, his abilities as a bandleader, and his incredible live drumming. However, his work outside of Lettuce includes a wide variety of artists, such as John Scofield, Wyclef Jean, Pretty Lights, and the late great Sharon Jones, among others. With Jones’ recent passing, Deitch felt inclined to write a memorial for the modern soul icon. Below, you can read his words on the inimitable Sharon Jones.
It was 2006, and I was fresh off tour with Hip Hop legend Wyclef Jean. I was living on 25th Street in Manhattan at the time, and didn’t get to Brooklyn that often. Word had gotten to me somehow that this band in BK were authentic in sounding and dressing like a soul band from the mid-1960s. I had also heard they were fronted by a female powerhouse that could only be seen to be believed.
Getting to that club in BK took a while, but my excitement and curiosity to see this band was pretty intense. Upon entering the club, I felt like I was in a different era. This band had suits on, they had steps, and were led by a super-badass player named Gabe Roth.
After guitarist and MC Binky Griptite‘s introduction, out came a ball of funky fire named Sharon Jones. She lit up the stage like it was her last show ever, dancing with the funk and fervor of James Brown and REALLY singing incredibly with the intensity of Lynn Collins while emitting the powerful presence of a Baptist preacher.
I was blown away and thought to myself “I HAVE to play with this band in some capacity. ” After dancing and damn near crying tears of joy for a solid hour of music, I made a beeline for the backstage where the band had just gotten off to get changed out of their bulky suits. I had had a few drinks and was very adamant about speaking to one of the leaders of the band. Finally, I was approached by Neal Sugarman, the Dap King’s tenor saxophonist, and a die-hard soul music aficionado.
I explained that I was from a band called Lettuce, (we barely played more than 10 shows per year back then) and that I HAD to play with the band I had just seen. Sugarman had heard about the whole Soulive/Lettuce crew, thankfully, and pulled me aside. He told me to come by their house on Troutman Street in Brooklyn in a few days to audition for a European tour they were embarking on a few months later.
The audition was lead by the original Dap King drummer, Homer Steinweiss, who basically had his doctorate in 1960s-style soul music drumming. He gave me a very thorough crash course in how to correctly play behind Miss Jones in an “Era specific” fashion. She wasn’t present for the rehearsals, but I worked extra hard with the Dap Kings to make sure that when she heard me, it would be all good!
The European tour that summer was epic and extremely tough on our bodies. About twelve of us were crammed in a crappy van with zero air conditioning in the dead of summer, for an average of about five hours per day. Sharon would sit shotgun, and she’d keep everybody in a great mood with her quick wit and uplifting attitude. Each show gave me goosebumps. She was on EVERY night!! She truly gave the crowd and band everything she had!
Watch Adam Deitch perform with Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings on European Tour in 2006, video courtesy of YouTube user chicoci
Between shows, she was my best friend on the tour. She made me feel comfortable in the band in a way that brought out my best playing. Her energy and spirit will always be etched in my memory as long as I live!
A few months before her passing, she came down to our Lettuce show in Augusta, GA (home of the late James Brown) and spent the day hanging with us. She was smiling and hugging everybody. When she sat in with us on “Do Your Thing”, she brought her best, and she funkified the band and the crowd to tears of happiness and goosebumps one more time.
Watch Sharon Jones sit in with Lettuce at the Major Rager in Augusta, GA back in 2015, courtesy of YouTube user Michael Johnson
I will miss you, Sharon Jones you are the QUEEN of Funk!!
Don’t Miss Adam Deitch and the Break Science Live Band when they hit Brooklyn Bowl for two nights on December 16th and 17th, with special guests Exmag, Jaw Gems, and Chris Karns joining in for an awesome night of electro-funk. [Buy tickets for the 16th and the 17th]