Guernsey Press

That Riviera touch

Jazz blues trio The Deptford Rivieras played to a busy Fermain Tavern – and Colin Leach was there.

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Jazz blues trio The Deptford Rivieras played to a busy Fermain Tavern – and Colin Leach was there.

WITH a deftness of touch and some slick playing, The Deptford Rivieras had the 190 or so punters at the Fermain Tavern moving and grooving to their infectious sound on Friday of last week.

Combining blues, funk and jazz, it was hard to imagine the sound was being made by just three instruments but goes to show the trio are true professionals.

As the name suggests, the trio hail from just south of the Thames and are regulars at the Mitre Hotel in Greenwich.

Phil Veacock, saxophonist extraordinaire, is Jools Holland's musical director and led the band on the night, enticing the punters to the dancefloor, every bit the consummate emcee.

Phil told me later how well he and the band had been looked after by promoter Karen Solway, who runs Things To Do Guernsey.

'It's great, really well looked after. It makes a change from some places in the UK where you're lucky to even get a rider. The island's great – we've enjoyed ourselves,' – hinting at a possible return.

The band was in the island late last year and judging by the almost-full Tavern, word must have got around as to how good they were.

Before the Rivieras' set the crowd was treated to The Red Wing Cafe Band.

Made up of a collection of local musicians, they were an ideal warm-up band on the night and warrant a listen. The line-up comprised Graham Dawson on vocals, Nigel Davies on bass, Dave Foote on drums, John Sealey on guitar, Sam Orchard on trumpet and Ted Osmond on sax. The sextet really got the audience prepared for the headline act.

Having failed to catch the Deptford Rivieras last year, I was eager to hear what all the fuss was about.

They kicked off with the classic Night Train, a tune first recorded by Jimmy Forrest in 1951 but made familiar by James Brown's version, which the band played on the night.

Seamus Beaghen coaxed some sweet sounds from his Hammond B3 as drummer Alan Savage set a steady beat. Both have an extensive history of playing, with Alan having a long career in both the pop and jazz/blues fields backing such names as Joe Jackson, Alison Moyet and Freddie Mercury, together with bluesmen such as Otis Grand and Eugene 'Hideaway' Bridges. He is currently the driving force behind OoBopSh'Bam, one of the UK's leading jump-jive/rock 'n' roll outfits.

Seamus has played with Madness, Paul Weller, Iggy Pop and many others and was musical director for comedian Jack Dee during his 'Live at...' TV shows.

Phil and Seamus both took turns at singing throughout the night, interspersed with instrumentals that ranged from lounge lizard jazzy renditions of From Russia With Love and Unchain My Heart to the uptempo blues and soul of High Heel Sneakers and I Got My Mojo Working.

What impressed me most, though, was when the band got The Red Wing Cafe Band on at the end to jam, each instrument taking a solo.

It was a sign of generosity and the musicians had a ball, as did the many up and dancing the night away.

They got their mojo working.

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