You don’t have to venture as far as New Orleans to hear great jazz music.

The Blues Beat Band, made up of current and retired members of the Bermuda Regiment Band, are one solid example of that.

The five-member group got together over a shared love of music. These days their goal is to get people grooving at corporate, church or community events Island-wide. Tuba player Gerald Swan tells us more ...

Q How did Blues Beat Band come about?

The group is made up of five of us — myself on the tuba, Major Barrett Dill and Neilson Degraff on cornet, Henry Smith on the trombone and James VanLowe on the clarinet.

We had all actually retired from the Bermuda Regiment Band and didn’t want to stop playing, so we would get together on Thursday nights and have a little rehearsal.

Then word started to get out and we started performing at functions like birthdays and anniversaries.

Our first performances were actually at Christmas time, when we would do carolling at some of our friends’ houses.

We really enjoyed bringing Christmas cheer to people during the holidays. After that we got together for a birthday performance at one of the Princess hotels and it just went from there.

Q: Why do you guys do what you do? What do you enjoy most about it?

For us it’s all a give-back. We will be playing at a seniors’ residence soon and they enjoy us playing blues and birthday songs.

For me, personally, one of the best parts is being able to continue on playing music.

I did play for 30 years with the Regiment band, so being able to still play and make good music with these guys, and make other people happy in the process is great.

Just about everyone in the band has played with the Regiment.

One of the gentlemen, Major Dill, was a Director Of Music in the Bermuda Regiment Band, while the others were Sergeant, Color Sergeant and two were Sergeant Majors.

Q: How did you get started with music to begin with?

We all have our different stories, but I got started with music when I was going to the Robert Crawford High School, where I played in the band.

I had always played trumpet, but it wasn’t until I joined the Regiment band that I was asked by Major Barrett Dill to assist one of the younger players.

The major told me he wanted me to sit and play the tuba with him.

Funny thing is, I liked it so much I switched instruments and have been playing the tuba ever since.

When I tell people I used to play trumpet they wonder why I would switch to the tuba, which tends to be more difficult, but for me I actually found it easier. I could play my tuba from this afternoon to tomorrow morning. I rarely play the trumpet anymore.

Q: How is it different playing now that you’ve retired from the Regiment band?

I would say for all of us the difference is it’s a bit more relaxed.

I would definitely say we still had fun playing for the Regiment band, but it was a bigger commitment.

The blues band has only now started becoming more of a commitment simply because we are getting more and more jobs, but typically it’s more laid-back.

Q: What would you say has been the best opportunity to come out of playing with the Blues Beat Band so far?

A good time of ours came about when we got to go on-board the cargo vessel Oleander on Christmas Day and play for the crew while they spent Christmas far away from their family. It was great to be able to bring joy to the crew over the holiday. They joined in singing the songs they liked such as Silent Night.

Q: How would you describe your sound?

We play everything, but consider ourselves to be more of the New Orleans blues style.

Most times when we go out and do a performance, Major Dill does most of the talking and he says we are the blues band flown in from the New Orleans via North Village — that’s where a few of us are from.

We just try to give everything we do a Bermuda style.

Q: What are some of the band’s signature/ favourite songs to play?

Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong, LOVE by Nat King Cole and Just Because You Think You’re So Pretty by Elvis Presley.

To contact the band, call 537-0224.