'Voice' was a band which formed in early 1971 and ran for nearly two years in an occasional fashion. Its lineup was drums (Martin Ditchum then Sam Kelly), added percussion (usually Chris Francis doubling on congas), double and electric bass (George Jensen), piano and Fender Rhodes (Frank Roberts), Vibes (Derek Foster), for a short time a young Laurence Juber on guitar; tenor sax (Dave Mitchel), alto sax (Chris Francis), trumpet (Harry Vince) and usually four or more singers (mostly Maggie Nicols, Julie Driscoll/Tippett, Jenny Tickler, Brian Eley, Roy Tunnicliffe). http://www.allmusic.com lists two musicians, David Nash and Mike Cousin, as members of the band, but I have no memory of them ever playing with us.
Maggie and I were married at the start of Voice and formed the band together. Prior to this I had met Chris at Chelsea School of Art and we began playing together in a quartet called Naima, with George Jensen (who we met listening to the SME in the Little Theatre Club off the Charing Cross Road). Maggie was singing with the SME and we all got talking in what had been Ronnie Scott's Old Place in Gerrard Street, by then a kind of heavy blues club, where you could jam late into the night and a cross section of young musicans collected. Frank, Dave and Martin came from another group of young players, also with occasional links to the Little Theatre set as I remember. The band was a mix of people from a Miles/electronic background, free-ish jazz via Ornette Coleman/Don Cherry and other influences.
We worked from loose music charts, usually begun by me and developed with help from Derek, who was better versed in notation and vocals influenced by the workshops Maggie was running at the Oval House Arts Centre. The aim was to have a parity between the vocal and instrumental voices. It was a large grouping and didn't work constantly because of financial restraints (no-one did it 'for the money...') and the other interests of members. Martin left after a year or so and later worked in 'mainstream' music with many honours; Sam went on to Cymande, one of the very first Black bands to emerge in Britain and then into blues music; George, who had a whole previous career as a rock session player, played with The Amazing Band and others; Frank eventually moved to Denmark where he still plays piano; Derek became what I suppose would be termed a 'classical' composer; Laurence, who only played a couple of gigs, later played with Paul McCartney and in film and TV in the States; Dave became a senior doctor; Chris played across the spectrum, from the jazz band 'Joy' to Adam Ant, carried on painting and teaching music; Julie worked on with Maggie in various groupings, including one also called 'Voice' and groups including the SME and ones with her husband Keith Tippett; Maggie has worked with many free music/feminist groups and runs workshops right up to now; Brian sang with Maggie and Julie in the vocal 'Voice' and is now a graphic designer, especially for television; Roy was a painter and lecturer in Maidstone School of Art but sadly committed suicide; the others I'm not sure about. I stopped playing trumpet soon after Voice to concentrate on politics and painting ...
Maggie and I were married at the start of Voice and formed the band together. Prior to this I had met Chris at Chelsea School of Art and we began playing together in a quartet called Naima, with George Jensen (who we met listening to the SME in the Little Theatre Club off the Charing Cross Road). Maggie was singing with the SME and we all got talking in what had been Ronnie Scott's Old Place in Gerrard Street, by then a kind of heavy blues club, where you could jam late into the night and a cross section of young musicans collected. Frank, Dave and Martin came from another group of young players, also with occasional links to the Little Theatre set as I remember. The band was a mix of people from a Miles/electronic background, free-ish jazz via Ornette Coleman/Don Cherry and other influences.
We worked from loose music charts, usually begun by me and developed with help from Derek, who was better versed in notation and vocals influenced by the workshops Maggie was running at the Oval House Arts Centre. The aim was to have a parity between the vocal and instrumental voices. It was a large grouping and didn't work constantly because of financial restraints (no-one did it 'for the money...') and the other interests of members. Martin left after a year or so and later worked in 'mainstream' music with many honours; Sam went on to Cymande, one of the very first Black bands to emerge in Britain and then into blues music; George, who had a whole previous career as a rock session player, played with The Amazing Band and others; Frank eventually moved to Denmark where he still plays piano; Derek became what I suppose would be termed a 'classical' composer; Laurence, who only played a couple of gigs, later played with Paul McCartney and in film and TV in the States; Dave became a senior doctor; Chris played across the spectrum, from the jazz band 'Joy' to Adam Ant, carried on painting and teaching music; Julie worked on with Maggie in various groupings, including one also called 'Voice' and groups including the SME and ones with her husband Keith Tippett; Maggie has worked with many free music/feminist groups and runs workshops right up to now; Brian sang with Maggie and Julie in the vocal 'Voice' and is now a graphic designer, especially for television; Roy was a painter and lecturer in Maidstone School of Art but sadly committed suicide; the others I'm not sure about. I stopped playing trumpet soon after Voice to concentrate on politics and painting ...
