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The band personnel are (left to right)
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The band personnel are (left to right)
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This is the latest group photo - of the band on tour in Brittany in Jan 2004 - we used this on the Inlay card and Booklet of the "Untitled" album. |
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The posed one from the back page of Danse Macabre (Chris was ill and Richard had just had a bad experience with Robbie, his hairdresser) |
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This is an earlier one taken on the Mine d'Or beach in Brittany |
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As above, but in Black and White |
The year 2005 marks 15 years since Florida launched upon the unsuspecting English folk dance public the unique fusion of swing / jazz / trad folk / folk rock which now has fans the length and breadth of the country, and beyond.
FLORIDA's sound is unique : a brassy collision of traditional English country dance and good time jazz, underpinned by muscular dance rhythms, generating hair-raising harmonies from a melting pot of roots and rock influences. The tunes are mainly English, but the band also draws on other European traditions and the compositions of fiddler/guitarist Gavin Atkin.
With a line-up including fiddle, electric guitars, horns and melodeon, the band's signature is a mix of woodwind and brass alongside the fiddle and accordeon, and harmonised melodic instruments over a driving dance beat established by bass and electric guitar. With this mix, drums are unnecessary.
FLORIDA is : Gavin Atkin (fiddle, guitars, vocals). Tim Bull (melodeons, vocals). Richard Goodwin (soprano, tenor and baritone saxes, taragot, wind synth, chalumeau, clarinet, flute, whistles,). Charlie Handley (trumpet, flugelhorn, cornet, vocals). Chris Warner (bass, vocals). The band's musical background covers classical, jazz, rock, trad folk, dance bands, a capella harmony, and ritual dance. It shows.
FLORIDA has become best known for its vibrant interpretations of dance music which have invigorated ceilIdhs and barn dances throughout the country, but its distinctive arrangements of tunes and trad songs have also been in demand at concerts and folk clubs. FLORIDA has appeared at most of England's major dance series and festivals, and has established a name in France with several successful visits to festivals in Brittany.
The FLORIDA line-up has produced four albums to date : the latest two "UNTITLED" (2005) and "DANSE MACABRE" (1999) are wholly instrumental, while "BRASS ROOTS" (1995) and "SPLITTING THE NIGHT" (1992) include arrangements of song as well as traditional and contemporary tunes from the British Isles and beyond.
Albums can be purchased on cassette tape or compact disc by mail order from the band (write to address below enclosing £11 per disc, £7 per cassette (cost includes p+p). Cheques payable to "Florida").
Florida is available for bookings, at home and abroad, for dances, festivals, concerts, events etc.
Contact :- Tim Bull. Broad Oak, Mill Lane, Frittenden, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 2DR
Telephone (01580) 852317; (Intl +44 01580 852317 ). E-mail
info@floridaproject.org.uk
Website http://www.floridaproject.org.uk
