By David Browne – NY Magazine
When Sharon Jones arrives at a midtown studio to record a song for a new album by soul legend Booker T., she gets a big hug from Questlove of the Roots, who will be playing drums. The 53-year-old Jones, packed tightly into jeans and a denim jacket, is singing a duet with Matt Berninger, of indie-rockers the National. She steps behind the mike, and after three tries, it’s plain to see who’s the veteran. While Berninger keeps tweaking the phrasing and redoing lines, Jones—her voice half-gospel shout, half–Soul Train silkiness—nails her part every time. “Wow—you sing three octaves,” Berninger tells her deferentially. After the last take, Booker T. and the engineers applaud. [Read More]