Miss Sharon Jones!

Gifted documentary filmmaker Barbara Kopple (Harlan County, U.S.A.) turns her lens on remarkable soul and funk singer Sharon Jones in this powerful, stirring profile. After working stints in various jobs, Jones began finding consistent success in the 1990s as a performing artist with her band, the Dap-Kings, along with her intrepid music director, Gabriel Roth, co-founder of Daptone Records. But after building a devoted audience, Jones—then in her 50s—was diagnosed with cancer, had undergo surgery, and embarked on a course of chemotherapy. Miss Sharon Jones! is largely shot during Jones's “cancer year” of 2013, during which she loses her hair and copes with limited energy while also worrying about the people who depend on her ability to tour and record. Kopple presents ample, pre-illness evidence of the constantly dancing Jones at her best on stage, showcasing her wonderful voice. Such impressive talent becomes hard to reconcile with the small, bald, exhausted woman here, but there never seems to be any doubt that she will somehow, some way return to form. Part of the dramatic tension comes from the somewhat tough-love approach that Jones's manager and the Dap-Kings begin to apply when they feel that she's ready to greet an audience again. Weary and concerned about not being 100%, Jones looks exquisitely human and vulnerable in her magical comeback show. An inspirational portrait ofan artist struggling with a daunting illness (Jones passed away in November 2016), this is highly recommended. (T. Keogh)