×

Gimme Some More: Nooky Jones Returns to the Dakota Jazz Club

Over the years, the Twin Cities have become known for producing some of the most renowned and respected soul and R&B music throughout the country. With a breadth of vibrant groups from the ‘50s and ‘60s paving the way, artists like Prince and Morris Day helped cement Minneapolis-St. Paul as a reputable part of the soul and R&B music scene.

As of 2014, sextet Nooky Jones has carried this sound on past the early aughts of the 2000s  with their combination of horn-heavy melodies and sultry, soft-spoken ballads. As far as this sound is concerned, the Twin Cities haven’t seen a group this distinguished and polished since Sonny Knight was crooning alongside The Lakers.

Fronted by Cameron Kinghorn, Nooky Jones’ sound revels in the sweet spot between music that makes you move and music that moves you.

With one album under their belt and an EP on the way, Nooky Jones are returning to the Dakota Jazz Club for a string of three shows. In speaking with Kinghorn, he highlights the fact that he and the band feel comfortable playing their complete catalog in the intimate confines of the Dakota, where he suggests they’ll dip into some songs that they might not ever play at other venues.

“We’re able to do the whole book there [at the Dakota], which is really nice,” he says. “The staff there is really great, and the crowd is really attentive. It feels right.”

In recent years, Kinghorn has jumped around playing trumpet for various local groups, acquainting himself with the scene and other performers around the area. And that collaborative nature that is fostered within the Twin Cities eventually led him to form Nooky Jones with Adam Meckler (trumpet) and Reid Kennedy (drums), along with Scott Agster (trombone), Kevin Gastonguay (keys) and Andrew Foreman (bass).

When the idea of starting a neo-soul and R&B project came about, Meckler, who played trumpet with Kinghorn at the U of M, knew right away who was going to front it.

“He came up to me and literally said, ‘I’m starting a band and you’re going to be the singer,’” Kinghorn says laughing.

From then on, things have taken off for Nooky Jones, and Kinghorn has fallen comfortably into his role of party ringleader and the guy who’s responsible for making sure everyone has a good time.

Compared to other groups he’s been a part of, he says the caliber of musicianship in Nooky Jones is as good as it gets, and he’s excited to continue exploring the process of songwriting alongside drummer Reid Kennedy, with whom he closely collaborates.

“Getting to write a lot of the music has been a different process, because in a lot of the other groups I’m a part of we’re either doing arrangements of other people’s music or I don’t have as much creative influence,” he says. “So this has felt more like something I have a little more control over.”

Since releasing their self-titled debut album last year, Kinghorn says that the songwriting process for the band’s newer material is derived from an improvisational energy – often stemming from their soundchecks during their last tour.

Because of that, he explains that some of the new songs have more of a danceable feel, which will translate well to the live performances.

“There are multiple songs that are going to be coming out that started with improvisation as opposed to one person having an idea. That’s a really fun way to put a song together,” he says. “If Reid has an idea on the keyboard, I’ll improvise melodies over it, and we’ll try this or that. It’s like having a teammate that you’re writing with, which is unique because you’re telling a story but you’re able to have different perspectives on it.”

This sort of sound is especially present on “Gimme Some More,” the band’s recently released single. Longtime fans of the band will catch familiar elements to Nooky Jones in this single, but at the same time it sounds very distinct from that album. The track has a very large sound, covering a lot of ground sonically as Kinghorn meanders through a call-and-response dance with a brazen backdrop of horns.

“We were really intentional about wanting the new material to be a little more danceable and funky,” he says. “We want these songs to represent the live show.”

Nooky Jones performs at the Dakota Jazz Club Thursday, September 27, at 7pm and Friday, September 28, at 7pm and 9pm.

×

You are now being redirected to our official ticket provider. We are not affiliated with any third-party sellers. Thanks and see you at the show!

Buy Tickets