Carmen Bradford graciously stepped in as a last minute replacement for an ailing Wycliffe Gordon as featured soloist with the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra for its April concerts. With less than a week to prepare a new concert with different music than planned, it was tense but everything just seemed right after the first rehearsal with Carmen Bradford.
Playing for capacity audiences in Benaroya Hall and Kirkland Performance Center, Miss Bradford and the SRJO drew standing ovations and encores. The concert at Kirkland Performance Center was recorded for broadcast on KPLU's Jazz Northwest and will air on Sunday, May 3 at 2 PM Pacific and stream at kplu.org.
Carmen Bradford comes from a music family as daughter of singer Melba Joyce and trumpet player Bobby Bradford. She was in college when she got the call to join the Count Basie Orchestra and she became the featured vocalist with the band. She has also performed with The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, The Clayton-Hamilton Orchestra, George Benson, Dori Caymmi, Shelly Berg, DIVA and many others. She's recorded several CDs as a solo artist in addition to guest appearances with others. She also tours internationally and is a vocal professor at USC.
Jazz Northwest is recorded and produced by Jim Wilke exclusively for 88.5 KPLU and airs Sundays at 2 PM Pacific. The program also streams simultaneously at kplu.org and is available as a podcast after the broadcast.
More Info:
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/carmen-bradford-mn0000147755/biography