Bio

About Saxophonist Bradford Hayes

BRADFORD HAYES, a native of Petersburg, Virginia has been a force on the jazz scene in the northeastern U.S. for several years now. He has performed at a number of clubs, colleges and concert halls that include Birdland (NYC), Tavern on the Green (NYC), and the Beacon Theater (NYC). Bradford has performed in different musical settings with Yusef Lateef, Ted Curson, Joe Lee Wilson, Jimmy Heath, Al Grey, Cecil Payne, Rufus Reid, Ray Bryant, Winard Harper, Ben Riley, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Cecil Brooks III, Jerry Butler, and The Dells. Mr. Hayes has also opened for Chico Freeman, Betty Carter, Joe Henderson, Max Roach, Marlena Shaw, Pieces Of A Dream, and Hilton Ruiz among others. In addition to leading his own band, Bradford spent 15 years with Babatunde Olatunji’s Drums Of Passion Band, serving as Musical Director for the last 3 years, until Mr. Olatunji’s passing. In fact one of the real personal highpoints of Bradford's career is when he performed with Mr. Olatunji at Yankee Stadium during Nelson Mandela’s 1st historical trip to the United States after his release from a South African prison. Lately, Bradford has also been performing with The Spirit of Life Ensemble.

Recently, Bradford along with 4 other musicians became the subjects of a photograph taken by legendary jazz photographer William Gottlieb. This was the first photo of jazz musicians taken by Mr. Gottlieb since 1948. In addition to the photo session, Bradford and the other musicians selected, were interviewed as part of a PBS documentary that will be released at a later date, about the work of Mr. Gottlieb.

Mr. Hayes, while accomplishing so much in the music performance world, has also been a successful music educator in the Newark, New Jersey Public Schools for 24 years. This connection to education, and his knowledge of jazz, makes him an excellent clinician. ( workshops!, workshops!, workshops!)

Education: Mr. Hayes holds a Bachelor of Sciences Degree in Music Education from North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, North Carolina. He has also studied privately with George Coleman and Charles Davis. __________________________________________________________

Some of the Places that Bradford's

Saxophone has been heard:

North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC (2006)

The China Club Paris, FRANCE

L'Entrepot Paris, FRANCE

First Night Montclair, NJ

Bethany Baptist Church Newark, NJ (Jazz Vespers)

St. Albans Congregational Church St. Albans, NY (Jazz Vespers)

Trinity Lutheran Church Jersey City, NJ (Jazz Vespers)

Festival International Nuits D’Afrique Montreal CANADA

The Bahai Center New York, NY

New York State Museum Albany, NY

The Bushfire Theater Philadelphia, PA

Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Festival Red Bank, NJ

The Miller Outdoor Theater Houston, TX

The Montclair Art Museum Montclair, NJ

SOB’s New York City, NY

The Lexington Theater St. Louis, MO

University of Massachusetts Amhearst, MA

Birdland New York City, NY

Africare House Washington, DC

Newark Jazz Festival Newark, NJ

The Bottom Line New York City, NY

Penn State University State Park, PA

Aaron Davis Hall New York City, NY

Kilamonjaro’s Washington, DC

Montclair Blues & Jazz festival Montclair, NJ

The Beacon Theater New York City, NY

The PECO Jazz Festival Philadelphia, PA

The Park West Theater, Chicago, Ill

Ortlieb's Jazzhaus Philadelphia, PA

NJPAC (Prudential Hall), Newark, NJ

Arts Centre Accra, Ghana WEST AFRICA

The Panasonic Jazz Festival New York City, NY

Sweet Basil's (Now called Sweet Rhythms) NYC, NY

The Tennessee Williams Arts Center Key West, Fla.

The Asbury Park Jazz Festival Asbury Park, NJ

Ashford & Simpson's Sugar Bar New York City, NY

The Newark Museum Newark, NJ

Sounds Of The City (NJPAC) Newark, NJ

Decade New York City, NY

Jazz In The Park Red Bank, NJ

The Theater Square Grill (NJPAC) Newark, NJ

Marcus Garvey Park Harlem, NY

Diva Lounge Montclair, NJ

The Arts Guild of Rahway Rahway, NJ

The East Orange Public Library East Orange, NJ

The John Coltrane Jazz Festival Montclair, NJ

Delta’s New Brunswick, NJ

Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art Philadelphia, PA

Brooklyn Botanical Gardens Brooklyn, NY

Sunfest London Ontario CANADA

Trumpets Montclair, NJ

Internat’l Afro Caribeno Festival Veracruz, MEXICO

Riverside Park South New York City, NY

Medgar Evers College Brooklyn, NY

Newark Symphony Hall Newark, NJ

Zinc Bar New York City, NY

Cecil's West Orange, NJ

The Priory Newark, NJ

Cleopatra's Needle New York City, NY __________________________________________________________________

Some Accomplishments and Affiliations

Member - Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Member - New Jersey Jazz Society

Member - ASCAP

Member - International Association of Jazz Education.

Member - National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences

Photographed by legendary jazz photographer William Gottlieb, along with Javon Jackson, Hilton Ruiz, John Lee, and Bill Saxton, and featured as a part of a PBS documentary about Mr. Gottlieb. This was Mr. Gottlieb's last jazz photo before his death.

Featured on the cover, and in an article of the e-magazine www.blacknj.com

Recently taped radio spots for National Public Radio, and Smithsonian Jazz .

Recently taped TV spots for BET Jazz.

Featured in a TV commercial for Virgin Atlantic Airlines, shot at Birdland (NYC).

Featured on “Jersey’s Talking”, a Comcast Cable TV show.

Featured in a stage production of “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grille” with Loretta Devine (Waiting to Exhale,” “Dream Girls”, etc.).

A featured finalist on Black Entertainment Television’s “Jazz Discovery”.

Writer for WBGO-Jazz 88’s JAZZAMATAZZ Magazine for Children.

Resident for NJPAC’s United Way Arts Academy.

Received a proclamation from The City of Irvington, NJ for his musical deeds.

Selected as an “Outstanding Young Man of America” for 1998.

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