Michael Scott, Shawn Christopher, Paris Delane and Sam Hogan: vocals
Erik Scott: bass
Hank Guaglianone: drums
Chris Cameron: keyboards
Phil Miller: guitars
Dan Pritzker: guitars
Dave Resnick: guitars
Ron Schwartz : additional keyboards
Scott Steiner: Sound
"If a band could ever be said to be a microcosm of Chicago, Sonia Dada is it."
So said the Chicago Tribune about the group's 2002 album "Barefoot
Soul," and there are few better ways to describe Sonia Dada's finely honed
but diverse fusion of rock and soul. Tellingly, guitarist/primary
songwriter Dan Pritzker cites the Beatles and Motown catalogues as "the
height of the idiom," and those influences -- along with R&B and alt-rock
that are deeply steeped in the recent history of their home town -- are
reasonably accurate signposts for the group's soulfully-based but
freewheeling style, which has incorporated many influences and
references over the years but remains true to its rock-solid rock-soul
foundation. That sound has earned Sonia Dada a rabid fan base all over
the world, and has helped the group's five albums to sell hundreds of
thousands of copies.
Diversity is a large part of what has kept the group together: There has
scarcely been a lineup change in nearly 14 years. "The artistic freedom is
the most special thing," says bassist Erik Scott. "Bass players, in
particular, are often held to playing very tightly regimented things, which
is why so many of us end up playing jazz. But that same sort of freedom
is in this band."
