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Fran Ray

Fran Ray Radio

General Info

  • Genre: Experimental / Folk / Soul

    Location Monflanquin, Fr

    Profile Views: 21752

    Last Login: 4/18/2012

    Member Since 4/25/2006

    Type of Label Unsigned

  • Bio

    Born in West London in to an Italian father and French mother, Fran Ray has been singing and songwriting for over 10 years. As a teenager she grew up listening to Frank Sinatra, Pavarotti, and classic soul and Motown, such as The Temptations, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles. All of which are great influences. She started out as most young aspiring musicians, that is in school music halls and choirs, where she won numerous awards. After leaving school her adventurous nature took her to France to learn the language, hook up with more musicians and develop her skills further. Sure enough, soon after coming to France she joined the funk/reggae outfit 'The Mont Blanc Allstars', and was their lead singer for 2 years gigging in local bars and nightspots as well as the famous Cham Jam Bosses des Bosse festival. Ever searching to expand her musical horizons Fran moved back to the UK in 1999 hoping to try her luck on the London scene. Moving back to West London she linked up with the likes of DJ Kurrage from the size doesn't matter crew who asked her to host a new jam session 'Flava's in the short lived venue, 'Annexe' in Soho. The jam was a great success and Fran soon made a name for herself as an experienced and versatile singer. It was here also that she met session bass player Oroh Angiama who she later worked with on the jam session 'Move Your Hands Collective' in WKD's Camden. Of course, as well as singing her heart out at various London night spots, Fran was working in the studio with producers and musicians such as Alexis Ananniou (Maieutic), EQ (Shabda), Don Mei, and the legendary Tony Allen of Fela Kuti fame. It was during a session with EQ that Fran was asked to audition for the Random Groove Movement (www.jazzfunk.co.uk), a band he had already been performing with for a while. She did, they loved her and Fran went on to write songs and perform with them regularly to packed out audiences in venues such as the Jazz Café and 100 Club as well as various festivals. Of course, there also recordings… It was Alexis Annaniou who introduced her to Joni Mitchell. A musician that changed her life and approach to music. Alexis and Fran went on to form Maieutic, an experimental duo with a love for all things Gainsbourg, Lou and the Velvet Underground and Roxy Music. It wasn't long before she began to get more and more in to writing and honing her own songwriting style. With a little Korg keyboard, a minidisc recorder and a Tascam 4 track that her bro bought, long evenings were spent composing and experimenting. The natural progression for was to take up the guitar allowing her to develop her songwriting skills and establish herself as a singer songwriter, leading her to support such artists as Charlie Winston. She can now be found living in South West France with her partner Limmie Snell .Her music is honest and uninhibited and the pleasure she takes in it shines through in her performance. Her vast experience and diversions in too many genres has obviously taught her not to overlook influences be it classical, folk, jazz or other. She is currently working on her first solo album project. En Français: Fran Ray compose et chante depuis presque sa naissance. Née à Londres d'une mère anglaise/française et un père Sicilien ,c'est dans la collection vinyle de ces derniers qu'elle trouve son bonheur en écoutant , parmi d'autres, Frank Sinatra, Pavarotti, Françoise Hardy et toutes les classiques de Motown (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, The Temptaions). Après avoir gagné des concours de talents pour les jeunes à l'école, elle décide d'aller plus loin avec la musique.... Un esprit d'aventure et l'envie d'apprendre le français l'amène ainsi, à Chamonix en 1997. Là, elle sera chanteuse pour le groupe de funk/reggae 'Les Mont Blanc All stars' pendant 2ans ou ils jouent les bars, festivals (y compris Les Bosses des Bosses, Cham Jam) et clubs de la Haute Savoie et les environs. En 1999 Fran Ray retourne en Angleterre pour essayer de tenter ses chances sur le scène Londonien... Dans les années qui suivent Fran s'est fait un nom en organisant et animant des nombreuses soirées scène ouverte avec des DJ et artistes reconnus (Size Doesn't Matter et notamment avec le bassiste Ororh Angiama (bassiste pour Corrine Bailey Rae, Celloman etc.;) et a la chance de travailler dans le studio avec Don Mei (Resin Records, breakbeat), Alexis Ananiou (Maieutic), EQ (Shabda) , Unsong Heroes (hip hop Londonien ) et le légendaire, Tony Allen (batteur de Fela Kuti sur son album 'Homecooking') . Bientôt, son talent se fait remarquer par le groupe de jazz funk 'The Random Groove Movement' (www.jazzfunk.co.uk) avec eux, elle fréquente des endroits reconnus de Jazz à Londres comme le Jazz Café et The 100 Club mais aussi joue premier partie pour Kid Creole and the Coconuts au festival de Jazz de Kew Gardens. Ainsi que ce projet, Fran continue de chanter et composer et se retrouve sur scène avec, parmi d'autres, Charlie Winston, Roots Manuva et Assaf Seewi (The Amazing Assaf). C'est dans le sud-ouest de la France qu'elle se retrouve maintenant avec sa guitare et sa voix... elle a son projet solo mais travail aussi avec Judy Blair (pianiste/organiste Américaine de jazz et blues) et Limmie Snell dans le trio de jazz Graziano, Blair, Snell. Elle a fini l'enregistrement de son premier album et attend avec impatience de pouvoir le sortir..! ' Presse - La Depeche du midi - ''Classé entre la soul, le folk et le jazz, Fran Ray, groupe anglais résidant à Monflanquin en ensorcellera plus d'un grâce à la magnifique voix de leur chanteuse' press: La Depeche du Midi - 'Classé entre la soul, le folk et le jazz, Fran Ray, groupe anglais résidant à Monflanquin en ensorcellera plus d'un grâce à la magnifique voix de leur chanteuse' Contact: fran_graziano@yahoo.co.uk

  • Members

    Myself, Fran Ray producing, singing, guitar and writing, Scruffy D aka Limmie Snell, Ishmael Pamphille Booking: fran_graziano@yahoo.co.uk <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VdsiNZHAcG4?hl=fr&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VdsiNZHAcG4?hl=fr&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VdsiNZHAcG4?hl=fr&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VdsiNZHAcG4?hl=fr&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

  • Influences

    As everyone says, there are so many but a few of my musical influences are: Joni Mitchell, Joan Armatrading, Jeff Buckley, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, Gloria Gaynor, Debralee, Scruffy D, Gabriel Cornish, J Dilla, Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Keith Jarett, Curtis Mayfield, Lee Scratch Perry, Burning Spear, D'Angelo, Paul Simon, Marvin Gaye, Daft Punk, John Scofield, Minnie Ripperton, John Lee Hooker, Me'Shell Ndegeocello, Quincy Jones, John Patitucci,

  • Sounds Like

    Lots of styles so I found it hard to put in a category. Sometimes I write with my guitar and it's kind of folky I guess and then other times I'm just putting beats together. And then again there are times I write with my other half, Scruffy D and it sounds different. It really depends what mood I'm in. I never really think about a style before I write , I just write. I'm trying to be comfortable with the music that I produce and let it come naturally. Music is music is music...

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