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Swamp Rock Club - All Saints Arts Centre, London: 19/8/2006

A good night out means different things to different people, although a packed dance floor from the off, healthy applause for the musicians and significant interest in buying their CD's at the end of the evening are good indications. The latest Swamp Rock event displayed all these, despite some technical difficulties and the numbers attending being less than usual, possibly due to the holiday season.

First impressions are a key factor and a nice welcome on arrival from Carole, plus some eminently danceable tracks spun by Nigel got proceedings going nicely, all before the bar was raised by Oo-Bop-Sh'Bam launching into their own interpretation of swinging blues and r'n'b, with some rock 'n' roll for good measure. Opening with their own "Oo-Bop-Sh'out", Alan Savage's percussion got the toes tapping and dancers on their feet straight away, ably assisted by Dave Lagnado's double bass that later came to the fore during "Wish You Were Mine".

What followed was the band's own take on an eclectic mix of blues and r'n'b standards by the likes of Louis Prima, Tiny Bradshaw, Roscoe Gordon and Fats Waller, including, "Breaking Up The House", "Love Me Baby" and "Sit Right Down". A lack of stage lightning didn't detract from their performance and the dancing carried on regardless, even when Jackson Sloane's microphone temporarily failed during "Ain't Misbehaving". It was clear all the musicians have excellent pedigree and experience playing a range of styles, from James Lunn's piano boogie woogie during "Let It Roll", to Paul Garner's swinging guitar during "Lillie May" (Smiley Lewis) that had the jivers really going for it. "Shake Rattle And Roll" completed the first set before, after a short breather, the Peppermint Harris classic "Rock, Rock, Rock" continued in the same vein, all lead by Jackson's impressive vocals.

Other highlights included a slower "My Kinda Baby" (Larry Darnell) that prompted the strollers on to the floor, Andy Dummett's sax playing throughout, contributing to the big band sound, especially during "Let's Jump Tonight" and "Flip, Flop And Fly", plus the New Orleans feel for "Big Mamou". The set was brought towards a climax with Amos Milburn's "Rooming House Boogie" and Jackson's own ""Let 'Em Roll…For Big Joe", before the Alan Savage composition "I Like To Bop" provided the demanded encore.

If you like your blues with a swinging edge and your r'n'b to get your feet moving, get yourself some Oo-Bop-Sh'Bam! Their self-titled CD hasn't been off my car stereo since!

Darrell Parsons