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Harrison Wood

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Music Genre

• Classical & Orchestral Work
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Current Projects

• Seerauber J Band
• Beats & Pieces Big Band
• The Kings Of Swing
• Groove Street West
• Greg Francis Orchestra
• Day & Night Jazz Quartet
• The New Squadronaires
• NYJO
• Halle Youth Ensembles
• Conservatoires UK Big Band

I'm delighted to be playing bass for some of The Greg Francis Orchestra and Singers shows.

The Greg Francis Orchestra

The Greg Francis Orchestra and Singers are available as a top rate orchestra for dancing (ballroom & sequence) or Cabaret / Theatre Shows.

The Greg Francis Orchestra and Singers first appeared on BBC Radio 2 during the early to mid 1980's. They featured regularly for over five years on such shows as 'The Jimmy Young Show', 'The Ray Moore Show', 'You and the Night and the Music' and the 'Early Show'. The orchestra has played an important part in the accompaniment of singers.

Today, The Greg Francis Orchestra and singers plays a wide mixture of music from mainly the 1950's sounds of Ted Heath through the popular sounds of Bert Kaempfert, Henry Mancini James Last and many more. The GFO plays for dancing (modern ballroom or sequence) and all at the correct tempos for dancing! As well as dancing, The GFO also provides the 'backing' for GFO tribute, rat pack and cabaret shows.

For More Information, contact USO Productions on 01253 695446 or email info@usoproductions.co.uk

About Greg Francis
My dad and Greg Francis have been good friends for many years and as a boy, Dad would often tell me about what a great musician, arranger, MD and conductor Greg was. So after been asked to play bass with The Greg Francis Orchestra I was very excited to find out that yes, dad was right! Greg's a wonderful musician, arranger, MD and conductor!

Greg's dad was a professional brass player and he too was brought up on the big bands and orchestras of the 40's and 50's. Greg originally learned the trumpet but at the age of twenty one he moved on to keyboards with the sole intention of learning orchestration. He played with popular groups of the 60's and 70's such as 'The Foundations' (of 'Build me up Buttercup' fame), was Musical Director for American hit band 'The Tymes' and played piano for Karen Kay (mother of Jamiriquoi singer Jason Kay). In the late 70's Greg moved to Germany, working in various recording studios in Frankfurt, Hamburg and Dusseldorf. Returning to the UK in the early 80's Greg arranged for London Orchestrations, the Mecca Organisation, Thames  and wrote and conducted the likes of the BBC Radio Orchestra, Strings of the Radio Orchestra, BBC Midland Radio Orchestra, BBC Langham Orchestra, BBC Radio 'Big Band', North German Radio Orchestra (NDR). During Greg's time at the BBC, he'd built up an enviable reputation for being able to write arrangements very quickly and by 1983, he been commissioned by Rediffusion to arrange and conduct twenty orchestral tracks a month which he did for the next 11 years.

By '86 the BBC were reducing (by twenty nine) the number of orchestras they had which lead to the birth of The Greg Francis Orchestra which then regularly toured. In 1989, Greg was approached by Lord David Puttnam to supply an orchestra of young musicians to appear in his new movie 'Memphis Belle' which also performed at the films Royal Premiere in London. In 1995, Greg received a commission from Granada TV to arrange for 'Stars in their Eyes' which led to tours with participants. In 1997, Greg worked with the Hollywood film composer John Murphy (Lock Stock & 3 barrels, Snatch etc) as an orchestrater which led to more work in Hollywood and the UK for Warner Bros and New Line Cinema. Greg continues to orchestrate film work. In 2000, he supplied a range of bands managed by his company (USO Productions) at the world famous Blackpool Tower Ballroom. By this time, Greg owned and managed the 'Glenn Miller Tribute Orchestra', 'New Squadronaires Orchestra', 'The Memphis Belle Swing Orchestra' and re-formed the 'Blackpool Tower Big Band', 'The Kings of Swing Orchestra'. In 2007, Greg decided that he would like to realise a lifetime ambition – to assemble an orchestra specifically to play 'Popular Light Music', particularly the music of his 'all time' favourite composer Leroy Anderson. Thus was formed 'The National Concert Orchestra of Great Britain'.
 

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