ABOUT THE EVENT
FREE TICKET SHOW | SATURDAY, AUGUST 24 | 7.30PM / DOORS 6:30PM
FREE TICKETS ONLINE VIA RESERVE BUTTON BELOW.
Sponsor: Westport Parks & Recreation
Hailed by Rolling Stone for “his classic American soul sound,” Lee Fields is revered as one of the greatest pure soul singers alive today. Fields has proven to be an unassailable force of nature. His prolific five-decades-plus career spans more than twenty albums and over forty singles, a supreme, still-evolving body of work which continues to garner attention via samples by such heavyweight artists as J. Cole, Travis Scott, Rick Ross, and A$AP Rocky as well as outside-the-box collaborations like the worldwide dance club hit, “Jealousy,” with French DJ/ producer Martin Solveig.
The North Carolina-born Fields arrived in New York City in 1967, inspired by James Brown’s legendary performance on The T.A.M.I. Show to make himself a soul star. The decades that followed saw Fields grow a hard-earned reputation as a true king of funk with a steady stream of albums and singles, including 1973 ’s stone classic, “Let's Talk It Over.” Though missed opportunities and changing musical tastes over the years might have kept him from reaching the pinnacle of mainstream stardom, Fields never let up, keeping the soul flame alive with independent releases and non-stop touring on the southern blues circuit.
In 1996, Fields recorded “Let a Man Do What He Wana Do” [sic] for Desco Records, a New York-based independent label co-run by producer/musician Gabriel Roth. The full-length Let’s Get a Groove On followed in 1998, cementing Fields as a torchbearer of the new funk revival, a Golden Age icon for a whole new generation of soul fans around the world. Fields continues to reign supreme on the modern funk and soul scene via a long series of new LPs and singles – including seven LPs joined by his explosive backing band, The Expressions – as well as countless live visits to every relevant venue and major festival on the planet, from Carnegie Hall, and L’Olympia to Coachella, Bonnaroo, Newport Folk, Roskilde, and many more, earning applause from such outlets as NPR for his “groove-filled performances with fiery energy and toe-tapping swagger.”
In 2001, Roth opened the doors on Daptone Records, with Fields releasing a handful of singles in the early aughts. Now, more than two decades later, Fields has officially joined the Daptone roster, reuniting him with Roth on the 25th anniversary of their first meeting to record Sentimental Fool, a deep, blues-tinged collection expertly showcasing the beauty, power, and raw humanity of Fields’ voice. The album – which features backing from an all-star lineup of Daptone family members including guitarist Thomas Brenneck, bassist Benny Trokan, drummer Brian Wolfe, keyboardists Victor Axelrod and Jimmy Hill, saxophonists Neal Sugarman and Ian Hendrickson-Smith, trumpeter Dave Guy, along with an array of additional guest musicians, backing vocalists – stands tall as a stunning return to Fields’ R&B roots, with songs like “Forever” and “What Did I Do” marking the culmination of an astounding career that has seemed to defy gravity, rising to only greater and greater heights.
Brooklyn Magazine: "Lee Fields: Soul Survivor. The legendary soul and funk singer is the subject of a new documentary, 'Lee Fields: Faithful Man'" (Feb 2024)
The Levitt Pavilion 2024 Season includes over 50 shows presented free-of-charge (free-ticket shows) - as well as our Stars on Tour paid-ticket series and Gala - to fill your spring, summer and fall with music, performing arts and more.
SIGN UP FOR OUR ENEWS TO STAY TUNED!
TERMS: Claiming a ticket or being a guest at the venue is an agreement to comply with all of the venue’s discretionary rules and safety protocols which are subject to change at any time. Please read all info below before claiming ticket(s). Note: Policies vary from show to show; please read guidelines specific to the show you are planning to attend.
August 24, 2024 | 7:30 pm