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WillieBradley

T R U M P E T E R W I T H H E A R T ‘ N ’ S O U L

Willie Bradley

www.williebradley.net

ON STAGEPrior to his recent slate of solo performances with his Essential Elements cohorts Cornell Young (drums) and Ted Ash (keys), Bradley was balancing a busy slate of jazz gigs along with numerous gospel performances. They played regular gigs at the upscale Luigi’s Italian Restaurant in Fayetteville, performing there every fourth Friday last year and also New Year’s Eve. In addition to being in rotation at Luigi’s, they had a standing upscale ballroom show every First Saturday of the Month at the Holiday Inn Bordeaux – a tradition they started as the Trio years ago at the Clarion Hotel. They considered each one a “smooth jazz networking event” and the shows continued throughout 2011. Essential Elements also played fraternity and sorority banquets at Fayetteville State University and has performed at the 100 Black Men Gala. Many of their shows, including the “First Saturdays” monthly event, were sponsored by local NPR and jazz station WFSS. More recently, Bradley has been performing with keyboardist Marcus Johnson and with saxophonist Antoine Knight, opening for Gerald Albright and Norman Brown in Union City, GA.

T R U M P E T E R W I T H H E A R T ‘ N ’ S O U L

NOTABLE LIVE PERFORMANCESAmbiance Jazz - Fayetteville, NC (with Marcus Johnson)

Low Country Jazz Festival - North Charleston, SC (with Marcus Johnson/opened for D. Sanborn, B. Culbertson, M. Marshak)

Holiday Inn Bordeaux - Fayetteville, NC

NY State Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators Gala - Albany, NY

MUSICThe first four recorded tracks of Another Day & Time establish Bradley as a powerful new voice in the genre, grounded in a vibe that blends old school R&B with contemporary urban rhythms. The title track is a mid tempo, old school funky tune with a cool and whimsical trumpet melody easing over a bubbling groove; Bradley and Cole double the horns on the dreamy, infectious hook. Bradley takes a hypnotic, trippy approach to Bobby Caldwell’s perennial blue eyed soul ballad, “What You Won’t Do For Love,” highlighted by a sparse trumpet melody over a seductive synth percussion loop and elegant keyboard fills by Cole. “Starlight” opens with moody atmospheres over a laid back shuffling urban groove, then builds emotion by pairing Bradley’s soaring trumpet with Cole’s increasingly dramatic “synth footprints” driven harmony line. “Kristen’s Song” matches today’s urban energy with a thumping discofied beat that bridges the generations beautifully; Bradley’s jazzy, horn textured hook and emotional verses float magically over the groove..

www.williebradley.net

Willie Bradley T R U M P E T E R W I T H H E A R T ‘ N ’ S O U L

“Not many artists would jettison a promising project with old friends and longtime musical cohorts to venture out on their own and try a whole new direction—but Willie Bradley has done just that with Another Day & Time. Nicholas Cole and his father made Bradley a great offer, but it’s what the trumpeter did with musically it that makes this project a potential

goldmine of contemporary urban hits. Bradley’s years of experience in jazz, gospel and R&B blend perfectly with Cole’s fresh grooves,

authentic urban energy and striking keyboard work (both harmony and featured). It’s a unique generation gap between an artist emerging into the spotlight after many years of being a local sensation and a dynamic teen who is

way ahead of his time. Meeting in the middle, Willie Bradley and Nicholas Cole truly represent

Another Day & Time in contemporary jazz – one every fan of the genre will want to experience.” – Jonathan Widran

REVIEW

FROM THE BEGINNINGWillie Bradley is a graduate of South Carolina State University, Orangeburg, SC where he earned a BS Degree in Music Education and Performance. Willie has played with jazz greats such as Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Frank Foster, Max Roach, Betty Carter and Nat Adderley. Bradley came from the funk band Big Bertha and recorded 2 original CDs What Color Is Your Mind and It’s About Time. Bradley had originally met Ted Ash years earlier when the two were part of another group called The Package Band. Cornell Young had played in numerous rock groups. Collectively, the trio has opened for or played with smooth jazz and blues artists such as Fourplay, Eric Darius, Pamela Williams, Terry Cummings, Mike Phillips, Joey Sommerville, Junior Wells, Bobby Blue Bland, Gordon James, Marcus Anderson and Ryan Kilgore.

In 2002, the three Fayetteville, North Carolina natives joined forces playing smooth jazz as the Willie Bradley Trio after each establishing themselves on the local scene

in different bands. Pooling their collective talents, the trio became a popular live attraction throughout their area, playing covers and originals together for two years

before breaking up for personal reasons. In the Willie Bradley Trio days, the three would play an upscale, event the first Saturday of every month in the ballroom of the Clarion Hotel; they most recently continued the tradition at the Holiday Inn Bordeaux as Essential Elements.

Several years later, as fate and God would have it, the three—unbeknownst to each other--were attending the same church, Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist. They began healing old wounds and, at the urging of their pastor, began playing jazz arrangements of gospel songs for the congregation under the name The Kingdom Builders. They also performed at couples ministry banquets and at other churches in the region. While continuing to play gospel, the three ultimately decided to get their jazz groove going again.

www.williebradley.netWillie Bradley 910-920-8505 | willie@williebradley.net

Willie Bradley T R U M P E T E R W I T H H E A R T ‘ N ’ S O U L