The Sugarman 3, sometimes titled The Sugarman Three, is a retro- funk band from

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

formed in 1996 by

saxophonist The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pro ...

Neal Sugarman, Hammond organ player Adam Scone, and drummer Rudy Albin. The band has released four studio albums—''

Sugar's Boogaloo ''Sugar's Boogaloo'' is the debut album by the Sugarman 3. It was released by Desco Records in 1998. It was re-released in 2006 by Daptone Records. Critical reception AllMusic wrote that "fans of earthy, greasy jazz-funk and rare groove will del ...

'' (1999), ''

Soul Donkey ''Soul Donkey'' is the second album by the Sugarman 3, released in 2000 in music, 2000. It was re-released in 2006 by Daptone Records. It differs somewhat from the band's previous album by focusing more on funk/jazz instrumentals. Critical recep ...

'' (2000), ''Pure Cane Sugar'' (2002) and ''What the World Needs Now'' (2012)—and one compilation album, ''Sweet Spot'' (2001).

History

Neal Sugarman grew up in

Newton, Massachusetts Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is approximately west of downtown Boston. Newton resembles a patchwork of thirteen villages, without a city center. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the population of Ne ...

and played saxophone for punk rock bands Boys Life and Black Cat Bone during the 1980s. He moved to New York in the early 1990s to pursue

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

. After a stint in New Orleans playing with musicians including Eddie Henderson and

Mike Longo Michael Josef Longo (March 19, 1937 – March 22, 2020) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and author. Early life Longo was born in Cincinnati, Ohio to parents who had a musical background. His father played bass, his mother played organ at c ...

, Sugarman returned to New York and formed a funk band with organist Adam Scone and drummer Rudy Albin. The trio, named The Sugarman 3, were influenced by artists such as "Brother" Jack McDuff and The Meters. The band was among the musicians who established Desco Records, a label that released reissues of 1960s and 1970s funk and jazz records in addition to material by current acts. The Sugarman 3's debut album, ''

'', was released in 1998. ''

'' followed in 2000, and included

cover versions In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

of songs by James Brown and

Lou Donaldson Lou Donaldson (born November 1, 1926) is an American retired jazz Alto saxophone, alto saxophonist. He is best known for his soulful, bluesy approach to playing the alto saxophone, although in his formative years he was, as many were of the bebop ...

along with original songs by the band. A compilation album, 2001's ''Sweet Spot'', contained selections from the trio's first two albums. In 2002, the band released their third album, ''Pure Cane Sugar''. It featured guest appearances by funk

percussionist A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...

Bernard Purdie and

vocalists Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

Lee Fields and Charles Bradley. Tom Moon of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' described the album as "organic, locked-tight music." Maurice Bottomley of

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

said, "Play this at your next party and watch your coolest friends unwind and start to Boogaloo. This is the real thing, undiluted and impossible to dislike." ''Dusted Magazines Andy Urban said the album "sounds good, but it operates in a vacuum of sorts, music that is pretty, but fundamentally anachronistic and relevant in aesthetic terms only." Sugarman, who also formed

The Dap-Kings Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings were an American funk and soul band signed to Daptone Records. They were part of a revival movement of mid-1960s to mid-1970s style funk and soul music. They released their debut album ''Dap Dippin in 2002, the firs ...

with Gabriel Roth, was a session musician during much of the late 2000s, playing on albums by

Lily Allen Lily Rose Beatrice Allen (born 2 May 1985) is an English singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of actor Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. Her music career began in 2005 when she made some of her vocal recordings public ...

Amy Winehouse Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was an English singer and songwriter. She was known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres, including soul, rhythm and blues and jazz. A membe ...

Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stud ...

, Al Green,

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air ( ...

Mark Ronson Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He is best known for his collaborations with artists such as Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, R ...

, as well as the Dap-Kings' own recordings led by vocalist

Sharon Jones Sharon Lafaye Jones (May 4, 1956 – November 18, 2016) was an American soul and funk singer. She was the lead singer of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, a soul and funk band based in Brooklyn, New York. Jones experienced breakthrough succe ...

. "You Don't Know What You Mean (To A Lover Like Me)", a 2004 single by Lee Fields and the Sugarman 3, appeared on the

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack ...

to the 2008 comedy-drama film '' Soul Men''.

Discography

Studio albums

* 1998 - ''

'' (Desco) * 2000 - ''

'' (Desco) * 2002 - ''Pure Cane Sugar'' ( Daptone Records) * 2012 - ''What the World Needs Now'' (Daptone Records)

Compilation album

* 2001 - ''Sweet Spot'' (Unique Records)

References

External links

The Sugarman 3
at Daptone Records * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sugarman 3 American funk musical groups Daptone Records artists Musical groups from New York City