Kool & The Gang - Too Hot (Summer Stage Live in New York July 22, 2023)

Since their formation as the jazz ensemble “The Jazziacs” in mid-`60s Jersey City, NJ, Kool and the Gang has become responsible for some of American music’s most enduring hits. Developing an influential funk sound in the 70s, they cracked the top 10 on the pop charts with “Jungle Boogie” and “Hollywood Swinging.” At the turn of the decade, they linked up with Brazilian jazz fusion producer Eumir Deodato for three consecutive platinum-selling records: Ladies’ Night (1979), Celebrate! (1980), and Something Special (1981). The title track from Celebrate!—the band’s lone No. 1 single—has become firmly entrenched in the pop music canon, a staple at weddings and celebratory gatherings. Their latest record, 2021’s Perfect Union, is somewhat bittersweet. It arrived nearly 60 years into a storied career spanning dozens of albums and band members, but its recording and release were bookended by the passing of founding members Ronald Bell and Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas. For their latest show in Flushing Meadows, surviving co-founders Robert “Kool” Bell and George “Funky” Brown lead the band into the seventh decade of its existence, performing soulful funk and R&B hits designed to get dancers of every generation on their feet.

Queens Live! Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Concert presented in partnership by Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage, the Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, and NYC Parks. Promotional support for Queens Live! provided by the NYC & Company Foundation.

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