Geoff Bradford (musician)
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Geoff Bradford | |
---|---|
Birth name | Geoffrey Frank Bradford |
Born | Islington, England | 13 January 1934
Died | 24 March 2014 Enfield, England | (aged 80)
Genres | Blues, British blues, skiffle, blues rock, folk rock |
Occupation(s) | Guitarist, singer |
Years active | 1954–2014 |
Geoffrey Frank Bradford (13 January 1934 – 24 March 2014)[1] was an English guitarist who played alongside British blues musicians in the 1950s and 1960s, such as Long John Baldry and Alexis Korner.
Early life and influences
Bradford was born in Islington, England, and went to school in East Barnet. From the age of 14 he took piano lessons, playing transcriptions of Meade Lux Lewis and Albert Ammons; although he soon lost interest in the instrument, exposure to blues music left a lasting impression on him.
After leaving school, he briefly obtained a position in an insurance office, before signed on for the
Early musical career
He joined a
Blues By Six
Bradford and Scott formed the band, Blues By Six,[3] with Brian Knight on vocals and harmonica, Charlie Watts on drums and Peter Andrews on bass. The band played a form of Chicago blues, with Bradford's guitar work now inspired by T-Bone Walker and Willie Johnson.
The R&B All-Stars
Cyril Davies had formed a successful Chicago blues band named the R&B All-Stars; original guitarist Bernie Watson left, and Davies asked Bradford to replace him.[3] The band had a residency at the Marquee Club in Wardour Street, London. The band released a single on Pye, "Preachin' The Blues" / "Sweet Mary".
Later career
The R&B All-Stars were at the forefront of a wave of British Blues bands at the beginning of the 1960s; other groups that were part of the wave included The Yardbirds, Manfred Mann and The Rolling Stones. However Davies died, and the R&B All-Stars became the Hoochie Coochie Men, fronted by Davies's backup singer, Long John Baldry. The blues boom evolved into what would become rock, and the music of the Hoochie Coochie Men failed to evolve with the times. As a result, Bradford faded from the view of the general public.[4]
He recorded infrequently, most recently in 1995.
Discography
- Geoff Bradford and the Hoochie Coochie Men – Geoff's Blues (1965)
- Geoff Bradford – The Right String (1976) Black Lion Records[6]
- Geoff Bradford – Rockin' the Blues (1979) Black Lion Records
- Geoff Bradford – Tribute to Fats Waller (1985)
- Loren Auerbach with Richard Newman (and Bert Jansch) - Playing the Game (1985)
- Geoff Bradford – Magnolia (1986) Christabel Records
- Geoff Bradford – The Return of a Guitar Legend (1995) BGO Records
Bibliography
- ISBN 1-900924-41-2
- Eric Burdon con J. Marshall Craig: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood, New York 2001 – Thunder's Mouth Press
- ISBN 0-7043-2696-5
- Christopher Hjort (with foreword of ISBN 1-906002-00-2
- Paul Myers: It Ain't Easy: Long John Baldry and the Birth of the British Blues, Vancouver Canada 2007 – GreyStone Books
- Harry Shapiro: Alexis Korner: The Biography, Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, Londra 1997 with discography of Mark Troster ISBN 0-7475-3163-3
References
- ^ Messer, Michael (6 May 2014). "Geoff Bradford >R.I.P." Michael Messer Forum.
- ^ "Geoff Bradford's recollections of Cyril Davies". Cyrildavies.com. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
- ^ ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
- ISBN 978-1-55365-200-7.
- ^ "Geoff Bradford | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
- ^ "The Right String - Geoff Bradford | User Reviews". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 August 2021.