From the off, Dennis announced he'd be taking the audience on a musical journey, from the music that surrounded him in his 60's youth through to his own reggae sound. And so it was. Anyone expecting thunderous Blackbeard dub, may well have been bemused as Bovell took to the stage, sat down, and launched straight into an acoustic version of the Kingstonian's Singer Man.
This set the pace for the first half of the show, as Bovell and long-time collaborator, John Kpiaye, delivered an acoustic set covering a decade of reggae greats; Boothe, Hibbert, Dekker, Wilson, Brown and the late Alton Ellis. The acoustic platform (albeit underscored with keyboards and what seemed to be an electric bongo) gave Bovell the opportunity to showcase his rich, barrelling voice.
Although not primarily known for his singing, this Jazz Festival format reminded us that he has a great voice and a unique delivery. A voice occasionally given extra resonance with a little reverb from Adrian 'On-U Sound' Sherwood at the mixing desk - hinting at the dub echoes to come.
Throughout the evening, Bovell provided a wry commentary on the music and his part in its history. Apparently, were it not for a singularly unimpressed father, the 14 year-old Dennis may well have run-off to become one of Desmond Dekker's Aces, when the reggae star showed up on his Clapham doorstep. "Dad, Desmond Dekker's at the door!", "So?".
This acoustic part of the show was crisp and sharp, even strident at times, with Bovell adding something new to each song including the oft-covered Redemption Song. Particular stand-outs were the self-penned tunes Caught You in a Lie and Silly Games - not least because Bovell's voice couldn't be further removed from those of the young women (Louisa Marks and Janet Kay respectively) who made the original hit recordings.
The second hour saw Bovell go electric although, sadly, without a rendition of his beautiful Matumbi-take on Dylan's The Man in Me. We did, however, get the classic After Tonight and a brace of rootsy dub tunes including Police Inspector, Dub Master and Jazzterpiece. With his final song of the night we almost came full circle as the band returned to the 60's pace of Run Away.
A prolific musician, but often working behind the scenes in reggae music, it was great to witness Bovell upfront and live. Credit goes to the Jazz Festival organisers and Theatre Royal for bringing Bovell to the stage in Newham. However the theatre setting does present a problem, with a show like this you really need the chance to dance...
The London Jazz Festival runs until 23 November.
