The Fran Clark Jazz Duo on 20th October
Fran Clark Jazz Duo plays on Wednesday 20th October at 1.15pm at St Paul's Open House Cafe
About Fran Clark
The singer-songwriter grew up in a music-loving family, and from an early age was exposed to diverse styles, from Aretha to Jimi Hendrix, then back to the vibrations and atmosphere of her Ladbroke Grove childhood via Bob Marley, Ray Charles or Jimi Reeves. Diversity being the order of he day, a teenage Fran experimented both vocally and as a song writer whilst performing with soul, rock, pop and blues musicians. It was her father's love for Nat King Cole that led her to explore singers such as Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan and further, the compositions of Gershwin, Cole Porter and Rogers and Hart. Her professional singing career has been spent performing live on stage both at home and abroad.
Her debut album "To Fly" is an eclectic collection of eleven original compositions with modern song structures placed over chord progressions and rhythms typically found in jazz, sometimes adding a latin feel or soul groove. All of this complemented by a smooth rich voice whose simple clarity aptly conveys true emotions and real life experiences. The album, recorded and engineered by husband Pete Clark with whom she arranged and produced each number. To date several tracks have received airplay from on-line and local radio:
- "Gorgeously chilled out" - Jules May-Brown - BFBS Radio 1
- "Soft, smooth and lightly moisturised" - Sue Marchant - BBC Radio East
- "What a wonderful sound!" - John Peters - Venture Radio
Fran is currently performing her original material and jazz standards to London audiences. She performs her repertoire as a duo or up to six-piece band and is working towards the completion of a second album.
Programme
From Fran's repertoire of jazz standards:
The Way You Look Tonight
Someone to Watch Over Me
Isn't It Romantic
Lush Life
You Taught My Heart To Sing
And some original material:
Making Me Smile
The Friend You Need
Stay
See Me
Lunchtime Concerts
St Paul's church hosts its regular monthly concerts on the 3rd Wednesdays of the month. Concerts are 1.15-2 pm in the St.Paul's Centre, Brentford. Join us there for lunch from 12 noon before the concert in our award winning Open House Café, or for tea afterwards. Suggested donation £3.00
St Paul's lunchtime concerts can provide a platform for established local musicians, or a valuable opportunity for students to gain experience in front of a live audience.
November 17th: Majestic Brass (Brass Ensemble)
December 15th: The Adie Sisters (Harp and Oboe)
January 19th (2011): River City Saxes
Open House Café
St. Paul’s Church
St. Paul’s Road
Brentford TW8 0PN
October 13, 2010