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De'Ja Blue
was started in 1997 with the goal of presenting the best of Rhythm and Blues with a
Tight Rhythm Section and Real Horns as an icing on the cake... The Real Deal!
Left to right upper: Ben Mickler (Drums),
Mark Palmer (Guitar/Vocals), Lester Harris
(Trumpet/Vocals)
Left to right lower: Gene Flippo (Keyboards/Vocals),
Neville Bearden (Bass/Vocals), Brad Guin (Tenor Sax)
In the years to
follow, the band has achieved that goal and much more. With 4 lead vocalists and
seasoned players with backgrounds in Jazz, Blues, Swing, Rock, etc., De'Ja Blue has been
able to develop into one of the most versitile bands ever. When you put all of
these things together with a common love for music, entertaining a crowd and just
plain having a good time doing what we do best, this equals what is our
desired result. Successful perfromances that have music with Broad Appeal. .
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The kind that keeps De'Ja Blue in demand.
Photos by Terry Hall
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| Gene
Flippo, Keybords & Vocals |
Gene
Flippo has been performing with bands since the mid 60's. Gene's musical interests
have always been Funk, Jazz, Fusion and Rhythm & Blues.
Gene says "I love to play music that I can feel and really moves
people". Gene is an outstanding showman and his singing and improvisations have
thrilled audiences throughout the south. Gene plays a B-3 organ, synthesizer and
piano. He also sings lead and harmony in Deja Blue. |
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| Lester Harris -
Trumpet/ Vocals |
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Lester
Harris is a noted Trumpeter and band leader from the Birmingham area who has performed in
a variety of musical groups throughout the Eastern U.S. for the past 25 years!
Although Lester has a strong background in classical music, his greatest interests lie in
Jazz, Rock and Rhythm & Blues. Lester plays the trumpet, valve trombone and
sings backup vocals for Deja Blue. Lester also writes the horn arrnagements for the
band. |
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| Mark Palmer -
Guitar/Vocals |
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Mark
Palmer grew up in a family full of musicians and he learned to play the guitar at an early
age. His songwriting is innovative, creative, inspiring and filled with energy and
emotion. Vocally, he is powerful, yet passionate, whether he is singing ballads,
blues rock or soul. Mark headlined his own group call the "Mark Palmer
Band", which gained him notoriety throughout Alabama. Mark has also been known
to play a pedal steel and dobro, but his forte has been the electric slide guitar. |
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Brad
Guin - Tenor Sax/Vocals |
Brad
Guin is the Tenor Sax player for DejaBlue. Brad has a long and storied
history of performance with many great musical icons of our time. Brad
has performed with Greg Allman, Bobby "Blue" Bland, BB King, The
Temptations, The Four Tops, The Ojays, Percy Sledge, Little Milton, Eddie
Floyd, T.Graham Brown, Jimmy Hall, Johnny Taylor and Dr. Hook.
Brad's hot licks and tremendous tenor sounds adds a lot to the blue's horn
section. Brad also sings backup and contributes to the arrangements of
the band.
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| Neville
Bearden - Bass & Vocals |
Neville
was born to play music. Playing since childhood, Neville still has a child-like enthusiasm
that shows when he picks up his bass guitar. His passion for all kinds of music
makes him a perfect fit for Deja Blue. Having played every venue from juke joints to
festivals, Neville pours the same fire and energy into every performance. He plays
and sings from the heart and has that amazing ability to bridge the gap between young and
old. His quirky antics and astounding vocals
make him a true entertainer who obviously loves what he does!
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| Ben
Mickler - Drums |
| Ben
Mickler is a great percussionist who learned his craft while growing up in Florida.
Ben played in groups throughout high school and college and is the driving force in Deja
Blue. Ben has that magic rhythm that make him such a great drummer. Ben's
ability to perform a variety of rhythmical genres has transformed Deja Blue into a group
who can "do it all". |
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