Carmen Bradford, 2019, Grammy nominee, was born in Austin Texas and raised in Altadena California. Carmen Bradford was raised with music in her family and her heart. It was only natural that Carmen would follow in the footsteps of her great family legacy being the daughter of legendary coronetist/composer Bobby Bradford and world-renown jazz vocalist/composer/author Melba Joyce. Carmen is the third generation of great musicians, having been born to Melvin Moore (Lucky Millender’s Big Band); Dizzy Gillespie’s Big Band during the 1940’s. She has made a unique place in American music history and plays an important role in the uniquely American art of Jazz. Jazz royalty is Carmen Bradford. Carmen Bradford is a jazz royalty. She was 22 when she was hired by William “Count”, Basie. For nine years, she was the featured singer in the legendary Count Basie Orchestra. She has since performed and/or recorded with; Wynton Marsalis, Shelly Berg, Jeremy Monteiro, John Clayton, along with the Clayton- Hamilton Orchestra, Nancy Wilson, Lena Horne, Doc Severinsen, Tony Bennett, James Brown, Willie Nelson, Tierney Sutton, Liz Wright, Patti Austin, Byron Stripling, Dori Caymmi, George Benson, Frank Sinatra, Joe Williams, Kurt Elling, Jeff Tyzik, Freddie Cole, Benny Carter, Kenny Rankin, Lou Rawls, James Newton, David Murray, DIVA Jazz Orchestra, Dani Felber Big Band, Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, along with the National Symphony, RochesterPhilharmonic, Dallas Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Vancouver Philharmonic, Philadelphia Pops, and countless artist around the world. In the 1980’s, Carmen was a part of two Grammy Award-winning albums by the Count Basie Orchestra. She later worked with George Benson on “Big Boss Band”, a third Grammy Award-winning album. Her powerful voice and soulful singing won the hearts of the entire world with her performance of “How Do You Keep The Music Playing”, a classic duet on the TONIGHT SHOW that year. With her critically acclaimed debut album “Finally Yours”, (Evidence Records), in 1992, Carmen Bradford began a new chapter in her long and successful career as a solo artist. Her 1995 solo album “With Respect”, which was released by Evidence Records, established Carmen Bradford as an Atlanta-based singer. This proved that she was a singular voice. Carmen Bradford teamed up with Kenny Rankin, a singer/composer for the Benny Carter Songbook Project. This duo made history again with “And All That Jazz”. Among others, the album featured Joe Williams, Ruth Brown and Bobby Short as well as Shirley Horn, Diana Krall (Diana Krall), Jon Hendricks, and Jon Hendricks. Benny Carter asked Carmen to sing “Key Largo”, the song that won her the Grammy Award. Carmen’s performance on “The Benny Carter Songbook”, was another beautiful recording collaboration that reaffirmed her stardom. Carmen Bradford lends her talent to the stage and music for Hollywood films, television commercials, cartoons and theater. Oprah Winfrey featured her singing on “Beloved”, and she starred in “Queenie Pie”, Duke Ellington’s Folk Opera. Carmen Bradford’s 2004 album, “Home With You”, (Azica Records), is a beautiful collection of vocal-piano duets with Shelly Berg, a jazz great. Carmen’s latest album, “Home With You”, is Carmen’s second departure. It offers her fans an intimate portrait of the artist that they have come to love. With the release of “Sherrie Maricle,” Carmen Bradford went back to her roots in big band.
