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BIO

Bradford Hayes

bradford hayes 1.jpeg

Saxophonist Bradford Hayes, a native of Dinwiddie County, Virginia has been a force on the jazz scene in the northeastern U.S. for many 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 or recorded in different musical settings with Gerald Alston, Yusef Lateef, Ted Curson, Michael Cochrane, Joe Lee Wilson, Jimmy Heath, Al Grey, Cecil Payne, Rufus Reid, Ray Bryant, Ben Riley, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Cecil Brooks III, Jerry Butler, and The Dells.

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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.

 

Bradford along with 4 other musicians became the subjects of a photograph taken by the late 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.

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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 30 years. This connection to education, and his knowledge of jazz, makes him an excellent clinician.

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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. In addition to all of this Mr. Hayes is a Prince Hall Mason, a Noble of the Mystic Shrine, and a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

PLACES PERFORMED 

  • North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC

  • The China Club Paris, France

  • L'Entrepot Paris, France

  • Princeton University Princeton, NJ

  • The Princeton Public Library Princeton, 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

  • 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, IL

  • Ortlieb's Jazzhaus Philadelphia, PA

  • NJPAC (Prudential Hall) Newark, NJ

  • Arts Centre Accra, Ghana WEST AFRICA

  • The Panasonic Jazz Festival New York City, NY

  • The Tennessee Williams Arts Center Key West, FL

  • 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

  • Jazz In The Park Red Bank, NJ

  • The Theater Square Grill (NJPAC) Newark, NJ

  • Marcus Garvey Park Harlem, NY

  • The Arts Guild of Rahway Rahway, NJ

  • The East Orange Public Library East Orange, 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

  • Medgar Evers College Brooklyn, NY

  • Newark Symphony Hall Newark, NJ

  • Medgar Evers College Brooklyn, NY

  • Zinc Bar New York City, NY

  • Cecil's West Orange, NJ

  • The Priory Newark, NJ

  • The Legendary Village Gate, NYC

  • Symphony Space, New York, NY

  • Clement's Place, Newark, NJ

  • Sista's Place, Brooklyn, NY

  • Shanghai Jazz, Madison, NJ

Accomplishments & Affiliations

1.

Noble - Golconda Temple #24 A. E. A. O. N. M. S., Inc. PHA, Newark, NJ

2.

Brother - Samson Lodge #66 F&AM PHA, Newark, NJ

3.

Brother - Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

4.

Member - New Jersey Jazz Society

5.

Member - Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation

6.

Member - ASCAP

7.

Member - New Jersey Association of Jazz Education.

8.

Member - National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences

9.

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

10.

Received a proclamation from The City of Newark, NJ for his educational contributions to the children of the city of Newark

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