Sonia Dada
NewMusicforOldFolks says …
Chicago-based Sonia Dada hasn't released an album in more than a decade and doesn't play live much. But the group's harmonies and soulful instrumentals made for great albums. A Day at the Beach is a must for any collection. The scream in "Screaming John" might be second only to Roger Daultry's in "Won't Get Fooled Again" in music history. The CD also included "Lester's Methadone Clinic" and "Lay My Body Down." You get the impression the band has lived most its songs.
Artist's info
Website: soniadada.com
Record company: Razor & Tie (Last recording 2004)
Genre: Alternative Soul, R&B
If you like this, look into: Holmes Brothers, The Subdudes, John Butler Trio
Bio (From AllMusic.com)
Sonia Dada, an eclectic, exciting genre-bending rock & roll group, was born in the spring of 1990. Like their labelmates the Freddy Jones Band, they are based in Chicago. The members take their songwriting inspiration from their experiences in that city as well as on the road. One day in 1990, songwriter-guitarist Dan Pritzker got off a subway train and heard the three-part harmonies of Michael Scott, Paris Delane, and Sam Hogan. Pritzker had already been working with a group that consisted of his longtime friends -- guitarist Dave Resnik, drummer Hank Guaglianone, and bassist Erik Scott. The three singers joined the quartet, and Sonia Dada had a new lineup: Paris Delane, Sam Hogan, and Michael Scott on vocals, plus the original four. Shortly after they began rehearsing in earnest, they added keyboardist Chris "Hambone" Cameron. (more)
Spotify sampler
Recordings
Most Recent
TEST PATTERN (2004): Test Pattern works as a single song, flowing effortlessly between gospel-tinged soundscapes like "Saturday" and soul-jazz rave-ups like "Take Back." At times it's like a sequel to Prince's 1987 "everything including the kitchen sink" double-disc Sign 'O' the Times, if the Purple One had allowed Daniel Lanois to produce it. The slick production works because the material warrants it -- the down-on-your-luck "Gordon" is as warm as it is heartbreaking and the rolling thunder of percussion that fuels "Dark Visions" is vast and majestic. The sampled bombardes, bursts of mandolins and sitars, and truly sublime and soulful vocals keep Test Pattern from unraveling into a slick piece of adult contemporary refuse, something that could easily have happened had the members not been blessed with impeccable restraint. Swirling beneath each track is a multicultural symphony, but that symphony prefers to accompany the song rather than bury it in unnecessary pomp and circumstance.
OTHERS
Sonia Dada (1992)
A Day at the Beach (1995)
My Secret Life (1998)
Lay Down & Lovie It Live (1999)
…BarefootSoul… (2002)
