Song of the Day: Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Matter of Time

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on The Midday Show with Cheryl Waters, is "Matter of Time" by Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, from the forthcoming 2017 album Soul of a Woman out November 17th on Daptone Records.

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Matter of Time (MP3)

From her years as a gospel singer in the ‘70s to her solo albums of the past two decades, Sharon Jones always commanded the stage, dishing out beloved soul and R&B performances with a sense of gravitas and elegance that some have compared to James Brown. Although Jones passed away in 2016, her final opus is yet to be revealed; on November 17th, Soul of a Woman will be released on Daptone Records.

Her last few years were precarious with regards to her singing and her starring in a documentary about her life (Miss Sharon Jones!), but Jones always knew she would get back on stage. In an interview with NPR’s Terry Gross last year, she said, “I knew I was going to have the strength. I know that sickness wasn’t unto to death.” Our Song of the Day is a joyous, shuffling episode full of big-time horns, effervescent background singers, and, of course, a typically impassioned performance from Jones and her Dap-Kings. “It’s a matter of time / Before justice will come,” she sings. “It’s a matter of time, yeah / Before all people will be united.” As hopeful about the future as it is subtly lamenting about the present, Jones’ “Matter of Time” promises in Soul of a Woman a moving portrait of humanity in the face of suffering.

Despite her death, her Twitter and Facebook accounts are kept active; follow her for news on future releases. And check out a video for today's featured track below, filmed and edited by Jeff Broadway and Cory Bailey using footage from her final tour.