Carmen Bradford performs at the Living Room
Story and Photograph by Robert Lorimor
Carmen Bradford remembers listening to music all of her life. Her father is the legendary trumpeter-composer Bobby Bradford and her mother is the legendary-singer Melba Joyce. Her parents were hoping that their daughter would choose another career path, but she remembers the day when she heard her mother performing. “I just knew it. I wanted to be singer like my mother.” She was seven years old at the time.
Her eyes are still bright with enthusiasm as she reflects the life she has lived so far. While growing up in California she listened to her mother and Dizzy Giellespi and Lucky Millander’s Big Band. In the 60’s, she was a fan of MoTown’s Gladies Knights and Diana Ross.
Carmen’s big break came when she was asked to join the celebrated Count Basie Orchestra by the Count himself, and later performed on two of their Grammy-winning albums. Other career highlights include an appearance on the Benny Carter Songbook Project which also won a Grammy. She continued by doing a recording with Wynton Marsalisand four concert tours with Doc Severinsen and his orchestra. Carmen has also released three CDs of her own: Finally Yours, With Respect and the recently released album, Home with You.
Both of her parents are now music teachers. Her father is a professor at Pasadena City College and her mother is a professor in Queens, New York. Carmen has once again followed her parent’s footsteps. She is a professor at USC Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles. She teaches students individually at the university about the standards, breathing and the jazz music business.
Some of the students walk into her studio with inflated egos and believe their “talent” is enough to make them a star. Almost every student eventually breaks down and cries when they discover how difficult her instruction is.
“Go ahead and cry, you’ll just tinkle less. This of course makes them laugh and then we can move along with the lesson,” says Carmen.
She cares deeply about her students and gives them all she can. One of her last students, Sarah Grazarek, has just graduated from USC and has already signed a major recording contract with Verse Records of Capital Records; naturally this makes Carmen proud.
The Living Room located at the Sheraton on Sukhumvit has become known for its quality jazz music in Bangkok. Carmen Bradford is no exception. She along with Jeremy Monteiro on piano, Eldee Young on bass fiddle and Tama Goh on drums are currently performing. Their show is a must see and only runs until February 28. You can hear them everyday except Monday. On Tuesday — Thursday they perform from 9 to 11:45 pm, on Friday—Saturday from 9:30 to 12:15 pm and on Sunday for a Jazzy brunch from12.00 to 2.45 pm.
Cecil Pearson Brown contributed to this story