Sonny Bradshaw

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Cecil Valentine "Sonny" Bradshaw (born March 28, 1926 in Kingston ; † October 10, 2009 in London ) was a Jamaican jazz musician ( trumpet , flugelhorn , band leader), radio maker and trade unionist who was one of the most important figures in Jamaican music for decades.

Life

Bradshaw attended the Central Branch Conservatory and then Kingston Technical High School. There he built a radio for himself so that he could hear the jazz shows from Cuba and the BBC. Then he worked in a music shop and taught himself to read notes and play the trumpet. In the late 1940s he was a member of Eric Deans' orchestra, which he left in 1950 to form his septet Sonny Bradshaw Seven . with which he supposedly could create the sound of a big band. He also founded the Jamaican Big Band , which at times included stars such as Joe Harriott , Dizzy Reece , Ernest Ranglin , Harold McNair , Dwight Pinkney and Monty Alexander . This band accompanied Sarah Vaughan in 1956 , later also Johnny Mathis , Lou Rawls , Johnnie Ray , Brook Benton and Sam Cooke .

He also published the news sheet The Music Sheet between 1952 and 1955 . From 1959 he worked mainly for radio; In addition to hosting the Teenage Dance Party , he was the longtime director of the music program and orchestra for the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation . In addition, he toured the USA, Cuba and Mexico with his septet. He was also active as a (honorary) union leader of the Jamaican Federation of Musicians , where he improved the working conditions of performing musicians in particular. Musicians like Yellowman , Beenie Man , Mr. Vegas , TOK , Papa San , Mad Cobra , and Brian & Tony Gold were discovered through the Tastee Talent Contest , which he founded .

Since 1980 he worked with the singer Myrna Hague, who became his wife; he revived the Jamaican Big Band and founded the Ocho Rios Jazz Festival in 1991 . Since 1989 he has traveled regularly to the UK, where he performed with Andy Hamilton . He died after an extended hospital stay.

Bradshaw received the Order of Distinction in the Commander Class in 2004 for his services to Jamaican music .

Discographic notes

  • The Sonny Bradshaw Quartet Jamaica Independence Souvenir Album (1962)
  • Sonny Bradshaw 7 Jamaica Roots , (1974)
  • Sonny Bradshaw 7 Do It Reggae (1969-1975)
  • Sonny Bradshaw and the Jamaica Big Band Live

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ " Sonny Bradshaw, " Daily Telegraph , December 1, 2009
  2. ↑ a b c Collinder, Avia (2008) “ Sonny Bradshaw - Married to jazz ( Memento from December 3, 2013 in the Internet Archive )”, Jamaica Gleaner , April 20, 2008
  3. ↑ Anglin-Christie, Kavelle (2007) “ Sonny Bradshaw? big band man ( Memento from June 16, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) ”, Jamaica Gleaner , March 18, 2007
  4. ↑ a b c Gambrill, Tony (2007) “ Sonny Bradshaw is 81 years young ( Memento December 10, 2008 in the Internet Archive )”, Jamaica Observer , May 27, 2007
  5. ↑ Castro, Silvera (2009) " Sonny Bradshaw: a musical tour de force ( Memento from September 29, 2013 in the Internet Archive )", Jamaica Gleaner , October 18, 2009
  6. ↑ " Tastee Talent Contest: the brain child of Sonny Bradshaw ( Memento of 29 September 2013 Internet Archive )," Jamaica Gleaner , October 19, 2009
  7. ↑ Campbell, Howard (2008) “ Sonny Bradshaw recovers - Serious stroke affected musician's brain ( Memento June 16, 2012 in the Internet Archive )”, Jamaica Gleaner , August 29, 2009
personal data
SURNAME Bradshaw, Sonny
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Bradshaw, Cecil Valentine
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Jamaican jazz musician, radio maker and trade unionist
DATE OF BIRTH March 28, 1926
PLACE OF BIRTH Kingston (Jamaica)
DATE OF DEATH October 10, 2009
Place of death London