Fourth annual Funk Fest set for Saturday at LCC

The fourth annual Funk Fest is right around the corner.

Saturday will mark the time of the event, held by the African-American Heritage Commission and held at the Lenoir Community College gym from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.. Musicians will perform selections from gospel to modern-era music, with the group “TrainWreck” as one of the featured acts.

The Funk Fest is dedicated to Nat Jones, a former director of the James Brown Band who died in 2014. Jones was born in 1939 in Kinston’s Lincoln City district and graduated from Adkin High School in 1955 as the school’s valedictorian, teaching at Woodington High and Adkin.

“Each year we try to honor a musician from Kinston,” Kinston City Councilman and African-American Heritage Commission Vice President Sammy Aiken said. “The first year, it was Maceo Parker, then the next year it was Dick Knight, followed by Ira Wiggins, who is a professor of jazz at N.C. Central. This year, we wanted to honor Nat Jones, the director of the James Brown Band from 1964 through 1967 and composed some of his biggest hits like ‘I Feel Good.’

“James Brown’s sound was a Kinston sound. He had six members in his band from Kinston and his material has been sampled so much worldwide, so the sound people hear is local.”

The event is $30 at the door and refreshments will be provided. For more information, contact Chairman Geraldyne Barbour at 252-523-9134.