Music / blues
Review: Kirris Riviere & The Delta De Bruit, BessellScotts House of Jazz
On a drizzly afternoon in East Street, Bedminster, it’s quite the revelation to step inside what looks like an ex-bank building to find a speakeasy-style jazz club. Bessell Scotts House of Jazz quietly opened during the summer as a steakhouse bar centred around a stage offering regular live jazz and blues events. It made a suave setting for blues singer Kirris Riviere and his band The Delta Du Bruit to launch their eponymous debut album, albeit a few months before its November release date.
The Delta Du Bruit: Bryan Jones (bass), Kirris Riviere (vocals) and Evan Newman (keyboards) (pic: Tony Benjamin)
It’s a deceptively tricky business, the blues. A century of recordings emanating from the Mississippi delta to Chicago and (way) beyond have laid down tight musical rules, a lexicon of subject matter and a certain persona behind the vocals. Writing and playing original material while staying inside blues traditions offers a very narrow space between ‘authenticity’ and lazy pastiche. The difference can often come down to personal style and the sincerity of your commitment to the music and happily Kirris and his band have both.
The album – which they played in full – covers a fair range of styles. There was a New Orleans slink to The Delta Du Bruit song, with drummer Pete Warner adding touches of Mardi Gras percussion while he provided a classic straightahead railroad shuffle drive for the defiant Aint Got Time. The swing beat number No Fuss Buss got a big Hammond organ sound from keyboard player Evan Newman and he switched to boogie piano for the upbeat ballad Down To The Border. Lyrically things went from the smartly elaborate (No Fuss Buss) to the outright down and dirty (I’m Ready) and Kirris seemed equally comfortable with both, confident in a strong voice that eschewed fancy business in favour of clarity, tone and impeccable timing.
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Kirris Riviere & The Delta Du Bruit (pic: Tony Benjamin)
They were a tight band throughout, with Bryan Jones’ solid bass locked into Pete’s drums providing the necessary foundation. Possibly the hardest challenge faced guitarist Alistair Toms who combined brisk rhythm playing with an eclectic set of solos to match the diverse styles on offer. As with Kirris’ vocals, Alistair managed to be impressive without resorting to flashiness. The Delta Du Bruit is clearly a band that knows its business, whether on Kirris and Evan’s jointly written originals or the occasional cover – there was a great version of Muddy Waters’ Can’t be Satisfied – and it’s to be hoped that the album’s eventual release gets them deservedly noticed on the wider UK blues scene.
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