Nic France
Drums and Percussion

Biography

Patrick Wood has had a long and varied career as both composer and musician. After graduating from University College London in 1981, but mostly self-taught as a musician, he started out playing guitar and bass on London’s Alternative Cabaret scene and worked with singers Ian Shaw and Sarah Jane Morris.

He then formed his band Woodworks with virtuoso guitarist John Etheridge in 1986, now playing mainly keyboards and writing all the band’s material. Saxophonist Tim Whitehead joined in ’88, staying for the next five years while the band continued to number other very highly respected musicians as members: drummers Frank Tontoh then Andy Gangadeen, bassist Geoff Gascoyne, guitarists John Parricelli and then Tony Remy. Woodworks made festival appearances, broadcast live on JazzFM and played at major venues nationally such as London’s Jazz Café.

In one review Time Out wrote: “…and rather than an endless stream of solos, the emphasis is put on the compositions supplied by pianist Patrick Wood…exhilarating, inspired sounds. A must.”

However, with the musical approach that inspired him “right out of fashion at the moment” (Time Out, 1992), Patrick had become increasingly unhappy, and he began to concentrate more on new kinds of work as a composer. Starting with music for theatre, he has composed music for a long string of BBC TV documentaries, commercial projects, TV drama series, and a Ghanain/U.S. feature film.

Patrick has worked with other leading British jazz musicians such as David O’Higgins, Denys Baptiste and Jim Mullen, with composer Clement Ishmael, experimental bassist Steve Lawson, and with a number of Gospel artists on recordings, in performance and on TV.

He has now returned to lead a band with new energy and new ideas, forming a collaboration with three friends who are amongst the most accomplished and inventive players in the U.K:

“Mark Lockheart is a consummate saxophonist, and an original and versatile composer’’ The Rough Guide to Jazz

 “An improviser of real character” The Guardian

 Mark has remained prominent in the U.K. and internationally since his work in the groundbreaking big band Loose Tubes during the 1980s. He has led various groups of his own since then and performed at major venues and festivals worldwide.

Perfect Houseplants, a band Mark has co-led since 1992, has so far released six albums and performed and broadcast throughout Europe. He also leads his own semi-orchestral 11 piece group The Scratch Band, whose first album was voted by Time Out as one of the top ten albums of 1998, and he has received a significant number of awards and bursaries as a composer.

A musician “at the cutting edge of contemporary jazz music” (The Guardian), Mark also has a versatility and range that have enabled him to record and tour in a wide variety of other contexts, from Radiohead and Prefab Sprout to June Tabor, Django Bates and Robert Wyatt.

He is widely regarded as amongst the most distinctive and creative saxophonists in Britain, with a haunting lyricism and refreshingly interactive approach to improvisation.

Neville Malcolm is one of the most in-demand bass players in the country. Known as ‘Level-Neville’, he is an understated star on both acoustic and electric bass, combining an earthy, soulful feel with effortless technical ability.

Coming from a background in Gospel music, Neville started out playing organ and guitar, switching to bass as he developed an ever greater interest in jazz and other music.

Turning professional in the early ‘90s, he worked with Philip Bent and Steve Williamson and became part of London’s Acid Jazz scene.

He has since performed all over the world and recorded with Billy Cobham, Gabrielle, Tom Jones, Carl Orr, Alex Wilson, Nathan Haynes, Marlene Shaw, Dave Valentin and Jack DeJohnette. Most recently he has been touring and recording with two of the world’s best known jazz crossover groups, Incognito and Us3.

Nic France is a highly experienced and accomplished drummer, who brings a free-flowing creativity and excitement into the Works’ music. He is Co-Producer of their album ‘Beware of the Dog’.

After arriving in London in 1980 Nic started working with top musicians almost immediately: Allan Holdsworth, Jim Mullen, Ronnie Scott, Ian Carr's Nucleus, Loose Tubes (he was a founder member along with Mark Lockheart), Kenny Wheeler, John Taylor, Andy Sheppard, Hank Crawford, David ‘Fathead’ Newman, Mose Allison, L. Shankar and many more.

He then started working in the Rock, Soul and Pop music worlds as well, touring the U.K. and Europe twice with the great Bill Withers, and has since worked with many other high profile artists. He has recorded with Pete Townsend, Jools Holland and Annie Lennox, appeared on a TV drum clinic with Billy Cobham and is currently in the bands of U.S. soul/jazz legend Terry Callier and Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour (featuring on the recent DVD ‘David Gilmour Live’). He has played at a large number of the world’s major venues and at many of its most prestigious festivals such as Nice, Montreux, Glastonbury etc.

On their new album ‘Beware of the Dog’, the band is joined by the wonderful guitarist Tony Remy.

“His relentless invention, soulful touch and incredible energy have gained him worldwide recognition and respect” The Times.

“One of the world’s most exciting guitar players” Jazzwise Magazine.

Tony manages to effortlessly span different styles in jazz, rock and RnB, yet always retain his unique voice.

He has recorded and toured with major stars in jazz and pop music: Simply Red, Annie Lennox, Gary Barlow, Craig David, Omar, US3, Lonnie Liston Smith, Lenny White, Courtney Pine, Jason Rebello, Julian Joseph, Pee Wee Ellis, Nelson Rangell, Ronnie Laws, Incognito, Steps Ahead, Freddy Hubbard and many others.

A member of Woodworks from ’91 to its ending in ’93, Tony guests on track 9 of ‘Beware of the Dog’, of which he says he is really proud – a true compliment.