Producer, songwriter and Montclair native Jeremy Pholwattana, and Deanna Brown, daughter of soul legend James Brown, want to turn a new generation on to the Godfather of Soul.
Their remake of Brown’s 1976 hit “Get Up Offa That Thang” is on the first-round ballot of the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards in three categories: Best R&B Performance; Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals; and Record of the Year.
Emery Kelly and the JB JAMP Band (James Brown Academy of Musik Pupils) mix rap into “Get Up Offa That Thang” to give it a contemporary feel.
Kelly, was part of the boy pop group Forever In Your Mind and is an actor on the Emmy-nominated Netflix TV Show “Alexa and Katie.”
The JB JAMP Band was founded by Deanna Brown and aims to educate young people about James Brown, who won three Grammys, including a Lifetime Achievement Award. Members of the JB JAMP Band range from five to 17 years old.