Protect The Beat

Derek Nash – sax, Winston Blissett – bass, Arden Hart – keys, Tim Cansfield – guitar, Darby Todd – drums.

The guys bring an aggressive brand of jazz/funk along the lines of George Duke, The Yellowjackets and The Breckers. The saying goes: if you want to bake a great cake you need to get the ingredients just right. Take 3 heaped spoonfuls of Derek Nash, leading arranger for Jools Holland's R&B Orchestra and frontline sax man to the same. Add an egg while gradually sifting in the soulful bass lines of Winston Blissett, Massive Attack. This cake will not be short of "Heart" if it's gonna rise and this recipe calls for the talented Arden Hart on keys and trumpet and the celebrated guitar of Tim Cansfield, whose credits include such dessert delights as Annie Lennox, Ray Charles and most recently Steve Winwood. The icing, you ask? Who needs it! We will just stick Darby Todd (currently touring with Justin Hawkins and Hot Leg) plus Darby's entire 150 piece drum and cymbal set up smack on top of this cake. Like the two figures atop a wedding cake, only this time the bride and groom are none other than Jazz & Funk. Their second album Intrepid stayed at number 1 for 15 weeks in a respected independent UK Jazz chart last year.