Bobby Bradford
Encyclopedia
Bobby Lee Bradford is an American
jazz
trumpeter, cornetist, bandleader
, and composer
. He is noted for his work with Ornette Coleman
. In October 2009 Bradford became the second recipient of the Festival of New Trumpet Music
's Award of Recognition.
, Texas in 1946. He moved to Los Angeles
, California in 1953 where he reunited with Ornette Coleman, whom he had previously known in Texas.http://www.jazzweekly.com/interviews/bradford.htm Bradford subsequently joined Coleman's ensemble but was replaced not long after by Don Cherry
when he drafted into the U.S. Air Force
.
After playing in military bands for three or four years, September 1954 to October 1958, he later rejoined Coleman's quartet from 1961 to 1963, a period during which the group did not record and performed publicly infrequently. Bradford was again replaced, this time by Freddie Hubbard
, when he left to pursue further studies.http://www.pomona.edu/Magazine/PCMWin02/CRbradford.shtml Later, Bradford began a long running association with the clarinetist John Carter
, a pairing that brought both increased exposure. 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 also the father of jazz vocalist Carmen Bradford.
He holds a B.M. degree from Huston-Tillotson College (now Huston-Tillotson University
) in Austin, Texas.http://bryson.pomona.edu/4d.acgi$ViewFacultyMember612
In addition to Coleman, Bradford has also performed with Eric Dolphy
, Charlie Haden
, Vinny Golia
and David Murray
, who was previously a student of his in the 1970s.
He is an instructor at Pasadena City College
in Pasadena
, California,http://www.pasadena.edu/directory/employee-results.cfm?Name=1019126A776E6D0E65650D6D183C and Pomona College
in Claremont
, California.http://bryson.pomona.edu/4d.acgi$ViewFacultyMember612
With Ornette Coleman
With David Murray
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
trumpeter, cornetist, bandleader
Bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
, and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
. He is noted for his work with Ornette Coleman
Ornette Coleman
Ornette Coleman is an American saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter and composer. He was one of the major innovators of the free jazz movement of the 1960s....
. In October 2009 Bradford became the second recipient of the Festival of New Trumpet Music
Festival of New Trumpet Music
The Festival of New Trumpet Music supports new trumpet music in all forms, and provides a platform for emerging artists and creative pioneers. Its primary goal is to celebrate the excellence of the current music scene by hosting a broad array of new trumpet music performances...
's Award of Recognition.
Biography
Bradford grew up in Mississippi and moved with his family to DallasDallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Texas in 1946. He moved to Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California in 1953 where he reunited with Ornette Coleman, whom he had previously known in Texas.http://www.jazzweekly.com/interviews/bradford.htm Bradford subsequently joined Coleman's ensemble but was replaced not long after by Don Cherry
Don Cherry (jazz)
Donald Eugene Cherry was an innovative African-American jazz cornetist whose career began with a long association with saxophonist Ornette Coleman. He went on to live in many parts of the world and work with a wide variety of musicians.-Biography:Cherry was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and...
when he drafted into the U.S. Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
.
After playing in military bands for three or four years, September 1954 to October 1958, he later rejoined Coleman's quartet from 1961 to 1963, a period during which the group did not record and performed publicly infrequently. Bradford was again replaced, this time by Freddie Hubbard
Freddie Hubbard
Frederick Dewayne "Freddie" Hubbard was an American jazz trumpeter. He was known primarily for playing in the bebop, hard bop and post bop styles from the early 1960s and on...
, when he left to pursue further studies.http://www.pomona.edu/Magazine/PCMWin02/CRbradford.shtml Later, Bradford began a long running association with the clarinetist John Carter
John Carter (jazz musician)
John Wallace Carter was an American jazz clarinet, saxophone, and flute player.-Biography:Born in Fort Worth, Texas, he played with Ornette Coleman and Charles Moffett in the 1940s. From 1961, Carter was based mainly on the West Coast. There he met Bobby Bradford in 1965, with whom he...
, a pairing that brought both increased exposure. 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 also the father of jazz vocalist Carmen Bradford.
He holds a B.M. degree from Huston-Tillotson College (now Huston-Tillotson University
Huston-Tillotson University
Huston–Tillotson University is a historically black university in Austin, Texas, United States. The school is affiliated with the United Methodist Church, the United Church of Christ, and the United Negro College Fund....
) in Austin, Texas.http://bryson.pomona.edu/4d.acgi$ViewFacultyMember612
In addition to Coleman, Bradford has also performed with Eric Dolphy
Eric Dolphy
Eric Allan Dolphy was an American jazz alto saxophonist, flutist, and bass clarinetist. On a few occasions he also played the clarinet and baritone saxophone. Dolphy was one of several multi-instrumentalists to gain prominence in the 1960s...
, Charlie Haden
Charlie Haden
Charles Edward Haden is an American jazz musician. He is a double bassist, probably best known for his long association with saxophonist Ornette Coleman...
, Vinny Golia
Vinny Golia
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....
and David Murray
David Murray (jazz musician)
David Murray is an American jazz musician. Murray plays mainly tenor saxophone and sometimes bass clarinet. He has recorded prolifically for many record labels since the mid-1970s.-Biography:...
, who was previously a student of his in the 1970s.
He is an instructor at Pasadena City College
Pasadena City College
Pasadena City College is a community college in Pasadena, California, USA, located on Colorado Boulevard. PCC is the third largest community college campus in the United States. PCC was founded in 1924 as Pasadena Junior College. In 1954, Pasadena Junior College merged with another junior...
in Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, California,http://www.pasadena.edu/directory/employee-results.cfm?Name=1019126A776E6D0E65650D6D183C and Pomona College
Pomona College
Pomona College is a private, residential, liberal arts college in Claremont, California. Founded in 1887 in Pomona, California by a group of Congregationalists, the college moved to Claremont in 1889 to the site of a hotel, retaining its name. The school enrolls 1,548 students.The founding member...
in Claremont
Claremont, California
Claremont is a small affluent college town in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States, about east of downtown Los Angeles at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. The population as of the 2010 census is 34,926. Claremont is known for its seven higher-education institutions, its...
, California.http://bryson.pomona.edu/4d.acgi$ViewFacultyMember612
As leader
- Vols. 1 & 2 (Nessa RecordsNessa Records-Discography:*n-1 Lester Bowie - Numbers 1 & 2 *n-2 Roscoe Mitchell - Congliptious...
, with John StevensJohn Stevens (drummer)John William Stevens was an English drummer. He was one of the most significant figures in early free improvisation, and a founding member of the Spontaneous Music Ensemble .-Biography:Stevens was born in Brentford, the son of a tap dancer...
) - & the Mo'tet - Lost in L.A. (Black Saint (1984))
As sideman
With John CarterJohn Carter (jazz musician)
John Wallace Carter was an American jazz clarinet, saxophone, and flute player.-Biography:Born in Fort Worth, Texas, he played with Ornette Coleman and Charles Moffett in the 1940s. From 1961, Carter was based mainly on the West Coast. There he met Bobby Bradford in 1965, with whom he...
- DauwheDauwheDauwhe is an album by American jazz clarinetist John Carter recorded in 1982 for the Italian Black Saint label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4½ stars stating "The first of clarinetist John Carter's five-part series in which he musically depicts the history of black...
(Black Saint (1982) - Night Fire (Black Saint (1981)
With Ornette Coleman
Ornette Coleman
Ornette Coleman is an American saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter and composer. He was one of the major innovators of the free jazz movement of the 1960s....
- Science FictionScience Fiction (Ornette Coleman album)Science Fiction is an album by the American jazz saxophonist and composer Ornette Coleman recorded in 1971 and released on the Columbia label.-Reception:...
(Columbia, 1971) - Broken ShadowsBroken ShadowsBroken Shadows is an album by the American jazz saxophonist and composer Ornette Coleman recorded in 1971 at the same sessions that produced Science Fiction and but not released on the Columbia label until 1982.-Reception:...
(Columbia, 1971 [1982])
With David Murray
David Murray (jazz musician)
David Murray is an American jazz musician. Murray plays mainly tenor saxophone and sometimes bass clarinet. He has recorded prolifically for many record labels since the mid-1970s.-Biography:...
- Murray's StepsMurray's StepsMurray's Steps is the fifth album by David Murray to be released on the Italian Black Saint label and the third to feature his Octet. It was released in 1982 and features performances by Murray, Henry Threadgill, Bobby Bradford, Lawrence "Butch" Morris, Craig Harris, Curtis Clark, Wilber Morris and...
(Black Saint (1983) - Death of a SidemanDeath of a SidemanDeath of a Sideman is an album by David Murray which was released on the Japanese DIW label. It was released in 1992 and features performances by Murray, Bobby Bradford, Dave Burrell, Fred Hopkins and Ed Blackwell.-Reception:...
(DIW, 1991) - MXMX (album)MX is the second album by David Murray to be released on Bob Thiele's Red Baron label. It was released in 1993 and features performances by Murray, Ravi Coltrane, Bobby Bradford, John Hicks, Fred Hopkins and Victor Lewis...
(Red Baron, 1992)
External links
- A Fireside Chat With Bobby Bradford by Fred Jung, from Jazz Weekly
- Article by Michelle Mercer from Pomona College Magazine Online
- Bobby Bradford @ 75 from Point of Departure: An Online Music Journal
- Bobby Bradford bio from ARTISTdirect site
- Education bio from Pasadena City College
- Images of Bobby Bradford from the Finding Aid for the Mark Weber Jazz Collection 1970 - 2005 in the Online Archive of California. Keyword search on "Bobby Bradford."