Festival director Jan Willem Luyken called the performance by Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, who was relatively unknown at the time, the highlight of North Sea Jazz 2008. And rightly so, because the show by the New York-based singer and her band turned the Congo tent into a steaming dance hall where the public never stopped dancing. Although Jones only entered the music industry at a rather late age, this isn't apparent on stage. Like no other, the 53-year-old diva is able to whip up the audience with her rough-edged voice and her mix of soul, funk and gospel. Her new album, I Learned it the Hard Way will go on sale right before her second performance at North Sea Jazz. Since it includes a lot of new songs, the promise of another hot night in Ahoy is in the air.
