The Band


	The combination of husband and wife, David and Clare Rozzell, with Clare’s father, Pat Francis, makes Wood Wire and Words a true family band.

started his musical journey at an early age, singing along to the radio & recordings of artists such as The Beatles, Johnny Cash, Ralph McTell, Don McLean, Gilbert O'Sullivan, The King Singers & Elvis Presley. At the age of about 9 he saved up and bought his first acoustic guitar, the cheapest one he could get from the Argos catalogue, at a cost of about £20. From that moment on he was hooked, and spent every spare moment singing along with his guitar & writing songs, much to the annoyance of his 2 older brothers. Some time later at school he & some friends decided to start a band, the one thing they lacked was a bass player, so in a fit of madness he sold his guitar to one of his brothers and bought a second-hand electric bass. It was cheap, red & had a neck that was so bent it could look around corners. He didn't have a bass amp at home so he plugged it into his parents stereo amplifier, which had fabulously large speakers, & tried not to blow it up. Unfortunately the band didn't last, after the initial burst of enthusiasm the rest of the band lost interest and it faded out after only a few months. A short while later David sold the bass at a profit, despite the wayward neck, and finding he had a talent for acting and a yearning to perform, put all his efforts into studying drama. For a while David took up the Cornet but couldn't afford to keep it so that was consigned to history, as was his brief spell as a drummer.

It wasn't until he went to college to study for a Btec in Performing Arts (Acting) that he found out he wasn't the only one who thought he could sing. So being a penniless student he persuaded his brother to let him have his old guitar back, neglecting to remind his brother that he'd sold it to him in the first place, all those years ago. His passion for playing, singing and writing music were soon re-kindled and when he wasn't in lectures, spent his spare time performing in the college refectory for his fellow students and staff. Word soon spread and it went from a few fellow students to most of the performing arts department. He played bass again for a while at college with the music students but couldn't afford to buy his own, so he stuck with the guitar. When he wasn't at college he was busking, not just for the money (fortunately) but just for the buzz of performing.

His first paying gig was in his local public house where he was a barman, (payment was in beer), it wasn't a great gig but it was a learning experience. One thing he learnt was that he needed a new guitar and an amp. He bought a white, semi-acoustic Hohner SE35 & not long after a Tanglewood Autumn Leaf, round backed, acoustic guitar.

Over the following years he played regularly in pubs, at private functions and as a guest with other local bands. He was asked to join several bands but declined after finding out they didn't share his commitment to music. So he stuck with solo music and the occasional guest appearance. During this time he learned several very valuable lessons, one of which was:- "Never play a gig in-front of a dart board."

He was once asked to sing on a Dance record by a German record label, he declined because he couldn't stand the manufactured pulp they were churning out & being an idealistic 20-something, didn't believe it had any musical integrity. "I didn't think of the money."

In 1995 he went back to college to study music, where he met his wife Clare, who was on the same course. Being the daughter of a well respected Bluegrass musician and a Banjo player herself, she introduced David to the world of Bluegrass music. This opened up a whole new catalogue of songs and new styles of playing, he started learning songs by artists such as, Tim O'brien, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Steve Earle, Darrell Scott, Iris DeMent & Nanci Griffith.

So finally after years of playing solo & being disappointed with bands that put the music second to everything else, he is playing in a band that shares his dedication to music & the enjoyment of playing it.

In addition to playing acoustic guitar & singing in Wood, Wire & Words he also contributes some double bass & mandolin.

was introduced to the world of bluegrass music at a very tender age by her mum and dad, who dragged her from one muddy field to another, along with her sister, to watch her father, renowned dobro Player Pat Francis (Fingers & Co.-Grassfire-Blackjack), perform at most of the UK bluegrass festivals.

This annual round of endurance tests, cunningly disguised as ‘camping weekends’ gave Clare a taste for the music, although she did not immediately pick up on playing the music. Instead, at school she started out by playing the Piano; working through the grades as far as grade 5 and playing at various concerts throughout her time at school. Clare’s acoustic upright piano was replaced eventually with an electric piano, which she still has and enjoys playing today. There was also an electric guitar for jamming along with various rock artists; her main love being Bon Jovi.

After years of going to the Bluegrass festivals and soaking up the many sounds and styles of acoustic picking, she decided to try her hand at the Banjo, inspired by the

likes of Earl Scruggs and Bela Fleck. Listening for hours to countless bluegrass albums and watching bands like the Johnson Mountain Boys and Hot Rize at the festivals, she fell in love with the driving sound and at the 1994 Didmarton Bluegrass Festival splashed-out on a Washburn B-16 5 string banjo, which has since accompanied her to all the festivals, where she takes every opportunity to terrorise the natives and better her playing.

In 1994 Clare enrolled in college on a 1 year music course (First Diploma in Performing Arts Music (Rock and Jazz), majoring in piano as her main instrument. This was a great success and lead her on to a 2 year Diploma course.

It was on this course in 1995 that she met her future husband David Rozzell who was studying Lead Vocals and acoustic rhythm guitar. On the strength of their mutual love for acoustic music, (as well as rock and jazz) Clare introduced David to the delights of bluegrass music and they started going to the festivals together.

Building on this love for acoustic music, Clare and David started working as a duo, performing David’s self penned songs, and covers of various artists, many of them from the world of bluegrass.

WWW is Clare’s first band, since leaving college. In Wood, Wire and Words, Clare has found an opportunity to develop her love for acoustic music and take on yet another instrument. She started out playing Electric Bass for the trio, but with the ambition to play at festivals it made more sense for all three members to be playing acoustically, so a double bass became the obvious choice and, needless to say, Clare has risen to the challenge, giving Wood, Wire and Words a fully acoustic sound with a steady bass at the helm.

Clare uses her beautiful harmonies to great effect and also takes the lead vocals on some songs. She hasn’t given up the banjo either and on occasion will be swapping the bass for the banjo.

If you had to sum-up in one (or two) lines what makes Pat tick, it would be -
“The simple life, one-pot meals, dogs and nice tunes with a solid rhythm”
(and chocolate chip cookies).

The music Pat loves he loves because of what it represents as much as what it sounds like. He loves the simple, plaintive, 'plum pitiful' music WWW play because it confronts life’s realities and attests to the qualities he would love to see still ‘alive and kicking’ in the world today.
Pat’s love for the music, (which he sees as the essence of the ‘old times’, when people recognised the need for looking out for each other), has been with him most of his life. For Pat, the music reflects the good times, the bad times, the hopes and fears of ordinary folk and he likes it best in a form that makes his fibres jump up and down. That's where rhythm and melody come in. They are the prime movers for Pat. They salve his soul, fire up his blood and make all sorts of things 'get better'.
Pat first dipped a toe in the waters of country music in the early fifties, - spurred on by an enthusiastic mother and a house full of Jimmie Rodgers records. In the following decade and a half, bluegrass, cajun, Jimmie Rodgers, the Carter Family, Hank Williams

and every other ethnic and cultural variation of this musical genre washed over Pat’s soul and set him on the path he now treads as fast as his little legs will carry him. At that time, of course, this whole musical bundle was wrapped up together in the great sixties folk revival . It took him quite a few years to distil this musical ‘brew’ into the format which he has since sipped lovingly at every opportunity. At various times throughout the past thirty-five years, Pat has been a member of one sort of band or another; three of these (Fingers & Co., Grassfire and Blackjack) being with a long-time friend Gary Payne. After the demise of Grassfire, Pat had a brief but very enjoyable ‘affair’ with a much broader based music as part of a trio called Panhandle Conspiracy(with Andrew Perry and Dave Jordan). As you might imagine, the music had a strong west Texas flavour. Since leaving Panhandle Conspiracy, Pat rejoined the bluegrass mainstream and spent an enjoyable interlude with Blackjack. Life, in the form of family commitments, poked its nose in and forced him onto the sidelines; musically speaking.

Pat met up with Andrew Perry again towards the end of 2003 and, together, they spent some time trying to bring their musical stuff together. The desire to bring a bass into the mix led to a 'call to arms' going out to David – Yonder was the result of these endeavours. After Yonder, there was a brief period of reflection before the ‘after-dinner picking sessions’ at Pat’s place were formalised into the birth of Wood, Wire and Words with Clare and David

Having worked his way through virtually every stringed instrument in the catalogue, Pat has now settled down with Dobro, mandolin and guitar. Pat’s Dobro provides some of the colour and contrast in WWW’s sound. Pat also dearly loves the mandolin, and strives endlessly to get close to being a decent player. Guitar is and always has been Pat’s first love and he will always cherish the love developed for this instrument half a century ago.

The band’s wide ranging material exploits every facet of Pat’s style of dobro and mandolin playing and WWW’s instrumental mix, makes for a well balanced sound; as well as keeping Pat on his toes.

Pat plays instruments by Phil Davidson, Gibson and Martin


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