Isaiah Sharkey was exposed to music at a very young age. His parents and sister played funk music in the family band and Isaiah was introduced to gospel music at his local church. From there, Isaiah started studying music under the close introduction of his father, Michael Sharkey. He would go on to learn about different musical genres that included jazz, R&B, blues, rock, and funk music, all while living in the Cabrini Green housing project in Chicago. Interestingly enough, the street he lived on as a child is now named after Curtis Mayfield — the soul and funk pioneer.
After years of playing local jazz rooms and blues clubs, Isaiah has gone on to play alongside John Mayer in his recent Search for Everything Tour, earn his very first Grammy Award in 2016 for his work on D’Angelo’s Black Messiah, and collaborate with notable artists Patti Labelle, Paul Simon, Chris Martin (Coldplay), Brian McKnight, and Chris ‘Daddy” Dave.
Sharkey and his band will be in Charlotte this week for a 2 night stay at Heist Brewery’s Canteen Room with support from local jazz and funk outfit Menastree.
Friday nights performance will be followed by an all-star jam with fellow musicians from Ghost-Note, Jonathan Scales Fourchestra, and Charlotte native Adrian Crutchfield. Tickets prices are $12/DOS.