Bobby Bradford

Last updated
Bobby Bradford
Bobby Bradford E5111451sw.jpg
Bradford at the Moers Festival in 2008
Background information
Birth nameBobby Lee Bradford
Born (1934-07-19) July 19, 1934 (age 89)
Cleveland, Mississippi, U.S.
Origin Dallas, Texas
Genres Jazz
Occupation(s)Musician, composer
Instrument(s)Cornet, trumpet

Bobby Lee Bradford (born July 19, 1934) is an American jazz trumpeter, cornetist, bandleader, and composer. [1] In addition to his solo work, Bradford is noted for his work with John Carter, Vinny Golia and Ornette Coleman. In October 2009, Bradford became the second recipient of the Festival of New Trumpet Music's Award of Recognition. [2] He taught at Pomona College for 44 years. [3]

Contents

Biography

Bobby Lee Bradford's life began in Mississippi; he and his family then moved to Dallas, Texas, in 1946. He moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1953 where he reunited with Ornette Coleman, whom he had previously known in Texas. [4] Bradford subsequently joined Coleman's ensemble, but was drafted into the U.S. Air Force and replaced by Don Cherry.

After playing in military bands from late 1954 to late 1958, [5] he rejoined Coleman's quartet from 1961 to 1963, which infrequently performed in public, but was indeed recorded under Coleman's Atlantic contract. These tapes were among those many destroyed in the Great Atlantic Vault Fire. Freddie Hubbard acted as Bradford's replacement upon his departure to return to the West Coast and pursue further studies. [6] Bradford soon began a long-running and relatively well-documented association with the clarinetist John Carter, a pairing that brought both increased exposure at international festivals (though the records remain scantily available, when one excludes web rips and bootlegs). Following Carter's death in 1991, Bradford fronted his own ensemble known as The Mo'tet, with which he has continued to perform since. He is the father of jazz vocalist Carmen Bradford.

He holds a B.M. degree from Huston–Tillotson College (now Huston–Tillotson University) in Austin, Texas. [7]

In addition to Coleman, Bradford has performed with Eric Dolphy, Leon "Ndugu" Chancler, Ingebrigt Håker-Flaten, Bob Stewart, Charlie Haden, George Lewis (trombone), James Newton, Frode Gjerstad, Vinny Golia, Paal Nilssen-Love, and David Murray, who was previously a student of his in the 1970s.

He was a lecturer at Pomona College in Claremont, California, where he taught the history of jazz and led the school's jazz ensemble. [3] After 44 years at the college, he retired in June 2021. [3]

Discography

As leader

With Circulasione Totale Orchestra

As sideman

With John Carter

With Vinny Golia

With David Murray

With others

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamaaladeen Tacuma</span> American free jazz bassist (born 1956)

Jamaaladeen Tacuma is an American free jazz bassist born in Hempstead, New York. He was a bandleader on the Gramavision label and worked with Ornette Coleman during the 1970s and 1980s, mostly in Coleman's Prime Time band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Stevens (drummer)</span> English drummer(1940

John William Stevens was an English drummer, and a founding member of the Spontaneous Music Ensemble.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Berne</span> American jazz saxophonist

Tim Berne is an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist and record label owner. His primary instruments are the alto and baritone saxophones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Blood Ulmer</span> American jazz and blues guitarist and singer (born 1940)

James "Blood" Ulmer is an American jazz, free funk and blues guitarist and singer. Ulmer plays a Gibson Byrdland guitar. His guitar sound has been described as "jagged" and "stinging". His singing has been called "raggedly soulful".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Carter (jazz musician)</span> Musical artist

John Wallace Carter was an American jazz clarinet, saxophone, and flute player. He is noted for the acclaimed Roots and Folklore series, a five-album concept album set inspired by African American life and experiences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis Moholo</span> South African jazz drummer

Louis Tebogo Moholo, is a South African jazz drummer. He has been a member of several notable bands, including The Blue Notes, the Brotherhood of Breath and Assagai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vinny Golia</span> American composer and multi-instrumentalist

Vinny Golia is an American composer and multi-instrumentalist specializing in woodwind instruments. He performs in the genres of contemporary music, jazz, free jazz, and free improvisation.

Emanem Records is a record company and independent record label founded in London, England in 1974 by Martin Davidson and Madelaine Davidson to record free improvisation.

Kevin Norton is an American percussionist and composer active in the New York City jazz and contemporary music scenes. He has performed and recorded with a diverse group of musicians, including Anthony Braxton, Paul Dunmall, Milt Hinton, Fred Frith, David Krakauer, Joëlle Léandre, Frode Gjerstad, Wilber Morris, James Emery, Bern Nix, and many others. In 1999, he founded Barking Hoop Recordings, a record label dedicated to releasing new and original music. Kevin Norton has also spent summers at camp Encore/Coda in Maine teaching music theory classes and private percussion classes. The label has released 11 CDs to date, which feature Norton's own groups as well as artists such as Anthony Braxton, Kevin O'Neil, Billy Stein, and the String Trio of New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Filiano</span> Musical artist

Ken Filiano is an American jazz and orchestral bassist based in Brooklyn, New York.

Nine Winds is an American jazz record label that was founded in 1977 by Vinny Golia.

Wayne Edward Peet is an American jazz pianist & organist active chiefly on the West Coast jazz scene.

Ira John Rapson, III was an American jazz trombonist and educator.

Baikida Carroll is an American jazz trumpeter.

Øyvind Storesund is a Norwegian Rock and jazz musician known from playing in the Norwegian bands Cloroform and Kaizers Orchestra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frode Gjerstad</span> Norwegian jazz musician

Frode Gjerstad is a Norwegian jazz musician with alto saxophone as principal instrument, but he also plays other saxophones, clarinet, and flute. He has collaborated with Paal Nilssen-Love, Borah Bergman, Peter Brötzmann, Evan Parker, Derek Bailey, Bjørn Kjellemyr, Terje Isungset, William Parker, Sabir Mateen, John Stevens, Johnny Dyani, Kent Carter, and since 1979 has contributed to more than 50 recordings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rich Halley</span> Musical artist

Rich Halley is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and composer. He has released 24 recordings as a leader. As Down Beat described him: “Oregon-based saxophonist Rich Halley has been turning out smart brawny music for a couple of decades”. All About Jazz called his music “a sublime balance of the cerebral and visceral”.

Eivin One Pedersen was a Norwegian jazz musician from Stavanger, Norway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Rune Strøm</span> Norwegian jazz musician (born 1985)

Jon Rune Strøm is a Norwegian jazz musician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NoBusiness Records</span> Lithuanian record label

NoBusiness Records is an independent record label, based in Vilnius, Lithuania.

References

  1. Smith, RJ (2019-09-25). "An L.A. jazz legend pays homage to Jackie Robinson, with a pitch from a library assistant". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  2. "FONT :: Festival of the New Trumpet :: Full History." fontmusic.org.
  3. 1 2 3 "Seven Pomona College Faculty Members Retire". Pomona College. 2021-07-09. Archived from the original on 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2021-08-27.
  4. Fred Jung, "A Fireside Chat With Bobby Bradford", Jazz Weekly.
  5. Clifford Allen, "Bobby Bradford: Self-Determination in the Great Basin", All About Jazz.
  6. "Beauty is a Rare Thing," Ornette Coleman Atlantic Collection, liner notes by Robert Palmer et al.; Michelle Mercer, "Jazz West" Archived April 16, 2005, at the Wayback Machine , PCM, Winter 2002, Vol. 39, No. 2.
  7. "Bobby Bradford". Archived from the original on 2006-09-01. Retrieved 2020-03-08.