Back in 1985, two UNH students met each other in the mini-dorm where they resided. Both discovered that they shared a common first name, Dave, as well as a mutual interest in playing music. One Dave, whose last name was Gerard, played guitar, while the other Dave, whose last name was Bailey, played bass. They began playing together, eventually adding another friend on drums, whose name wasn't Dave, but Brian. Brian, whose last name was Dionne, then introduced the two Daves to another guitarist named Ned, whose last name was Chase. In the summer of 1986, these four musicians formed into a band, named it Savoy Truffle and soon began gigging around the Seacoast area.

Nineteen years later, the band, now known simply as Truffle, prepares to release their fifth recording, That's Right. The CD release party, sure to be one of their unforgettably upbeat live shows, will be this Saturday at one of their favorite haunts, The Stone Church in Newmarket. Opening the show will be another longtime area favorite, singer/songwriter Ed Jurdi.

"We're all pretty satisfied with how this CD came out," Gerard said in a recent interview. "It reflects the various stylistic tastes we have, from R&B to bluegrass to rock. We've always been into jumping around between styles to keep the music interesting for the audience and for us."

Gerard says the band makes a point of paying attention to the songwriting.

"Our goal is to write strong melodies and lyrics and combine those with interesting grooves. We aren't beyond getting into some extended jamming on some tunes, but we try to keep the focus on good, groovin' tunes," Gerard said. Gerard and Chase are the primary songwriters in the band. But on the new recording, Bailey contributed a couple of songs, something that he had recently begun working on.

"It was exciting for me to contribute, though it was also somewhat daunting," Bailey said. "Dave and Ned are such great writers, so it was a pleasure for me to have them accept the songs for the session."

The new CD, That's Right, is vintage Truffle all the way. It's a seamless blend of rock and soul with a healthy dose of bluegrass and dash of blues grit, all hallmarks of the Truffle sound. Gerard's guitar work is strong all throughout, as is his vocal work (in my opinion, Gerard is one of the best singers on the Seacoast). The CD also reflects a band that has not only established a strong identity, but shows continued growth and maturity. Part of this is due to the excellent foundation laid down by Dave Bailey on bass and current drummer Mike Gendron, who joined the band 10 years ago. The groove pocket these two create gives the CD a strong, flowing and soulful vibe.

An added treat for Bailey and Gerard was the appearance of each of their fathers on horns on Bailey's "Now I Know."

Bailey's father played sax professionally for a number of years before giving it up temporarily to focus on raising his family. Recently, he's gotten back into playing again, Bailey said. Gerard's father, a trombone player, has played professionally throughout his life. "It was a real kick to have them involved," Bailey said.

Nineteen years is a long time for any music group to stay together. When asked to what they attributed the longevity of the band, Gerard, Bailey and Chase all cited their strong personal friendships with each other.

"We also have a solid base of respect for each other both musically and personally, and we share a lot of common values," Bailey said. Gerard added that they all "communicate and interact with one another in our non-music lives as well. We have get-togethers with each others' families, have attended each others' weddings, helped each other on non-music stuff, things like that."

These days, Truffle is a full-time operation. Gerard handles all of the business, from booking gigs to sending out the band's newsletter, the E-Pig/Truffle Newsletter. "Most of my day is taken up with the various business aspects of the band," Gerard said.

"The band" actually breaks off into a variety of formats. The primary band is the electric group that's on the CD, and which is sometimes augmented by percussionist Pete Kowalski. There is also an acoustic band, called Acoustic Truffle. Gerard appears regularly in solo shows in the area, a gig he sometimes calls Solo Truffle. Then there's the touring band, Dave Gerard's Groove Thing, which makes its annual visits to Colorado and to the Virgin Islands. "This is a trio, essentially the band minus Ned, who doesn't go on those tours with us," Gerard said. Chase's five-day-a-week teaching schedule makes it difficult for him to perform with the band beyond the Northeast.

Locally, the band plays in Boston, Portland and Burlington, as well as several locations around New Hampshire, including regular appearances at The Stone Church and at The Press Room. Despite having shared stages with Little Feat, Phish, The Band, Blues Traveler, Dave Matthews Band, Spin Doctors, Buckwheat Zydeco, Arlo Guthrie, Widespread Panic, Merl Saunders and Baba Ulatundje, to name a few, they still consider themselves a Seacoast band.

"The Seacoast area has always been our base," Bailey said. "I feel that we're a part of the Seacoast music community, which means a lot to us."

Gerard agreed.

"It's always great fun for us to play in this area. Some of our best fans are here in the Seacoast. So I feel it's important for us to give them our best every time."