Bradley Joseph
American composer and producer (born 1965) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bradley Joseph is an American composer, arranger, and producer of contemporary instrumental music. His compositions include works for orchestras, quartets and solo piano pieces. He has been active since 1983, and he has played various instruments in rock bands throughout the Midwest. In 1989, the Greek composer Yanni hired Joseph for his core band after hearing a tape of his original compositions. Joseph was a featured concert keyboard player with Yanni on six major tours,[1] most recently in 2003 for the 60-city Ethnicity tour.
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Bradley Joseph | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | 1965 (age 59–60) Bird Island, Minnesota, United States |
| Origin | Willmar, Minnesota, United States |
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| Years active | 1983–present |
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| Website | Official Website |
He appears in the multi-platinum album and concert film, Live at the Acropolis. Joseph also spent five years as musical director and lead keyboardist for Sheena Easton, including a 1995 performance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Joseph is the founder of the Robbins Island Music label.[citation needed] His solo career began when he independently released Hear the Masses, featuring many of his Yanni bandmates. This debut was followed by Rapture, an instrumental album recorded with a 50-piece orchestra in which Joseph wrote and conducted all the scores. It was released on the Narada label and reached the ZMR Airwaves Top 30. A number of subsequent recordings, including Christmas Around the World and One Deep Breath, also held positions on ZMR's Top 100 radio chart, with the most recent being Paint the Sky, which debuted on April 4, 2013. Paint the Sky was nominated for Best Neo-Classical Album at the 10th annual ZMR Music Awards.[2] He has produced numerous CDs/DVDs and piano books. His music is included in multiple various-artist compilation albums, including the 2008 release of The Weather Channel Presents: Smooth Jazz II.
Biography
Summarize
Perspective
Early years
Bradley Joseph was born in 1965 in Bird Island, Minnesota and raised in Willmar, Minnesota,[3] graduating from Willmar Senior High School in 1983.[4] He learned how to play the piano from a how-to piano book he found in the piano bench.[5] He started playing classical piano at age eight,[6] taking lessons for a year and a half before transitioning to a self-taught approach.[5] While in junior high, he took a concert field trip where he saw Buddy Rich perform.[6] Joseph played piano for his high school's jazz band and choir,[7] as well as trombone through high school and college.[8] When he picked up the saxophone, he got a whole new perspective on music, gaining insight into all the different timbres available, which was invaluable to him when he started working with orchestras.[9] The first band he was in was a wedding dance band.[5] After attending Moorhead State University as a music major, he led some of his own bands around the area that toured Midwest nightclubs. He played the saxophone and guitar in some of these earlier bands but left them to concentrate on just the piano/keyboards.[8] Later, he started performing with guitarist Dugan McNeill, whose group was signed to Polygram.[6]
Yanni
In 1989, Joseph recorded his first demo tape and sent it off to Greek composer Yanni, who was looking for someone to replace keyboardist John Tesh.[10] When Yanni heard Joseph's compositions and arrangements, he was hired over the phone to join his core band without ever meeting.[8]
When I reflect back over the years, one of the high points that stand out include performing at the Acropolis with Yanni.[11]
After moving to Los Angeles at age 23,[12] he composed, arranged, and performed alongside Yanni for more than six years, performing in-concert with a number of notable symphony orchestras, touring throughout the U.S. and abroad as Yanni gained worldwide fame.[13] His first show was at the Starplex in Dallas with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra filming a video project. "It was a real trial by fire for me", said Joseph.[6] "First show + 10,000 people + TV cameras equals NERVOUS."[11] He told Jane Fredericksen of the St. Croix Valley Press that "It was a big jump, you don't really realize it at the time, but there's no in-between — going from playing nightclubs to arenas."[1] Some of these early tours included the Reflections of Passion, Revolution in Sound, Dare to Dream,[14] Yanni Live, The Symphony Concerts 1993 and 1994 concert tours, as well as a performance in Germany that was broadcast throughout Europe and seen by 30 to 40 million viewers.[4] Joseph appears on the 1994 multi-platinum album and video, Live at the Acropolis.[10]
In the band, Joseph covered a lot of the keyboard parts that Yanni could not for lack of hands in the shows.[8] He assisted with the task of managing the 30 or more synthesizers onstage[15] and helped layer with the orchestra to create a "full-bodied, live-effect sound".[16] Joseph readily credits Yanni's role in his professional development, and for five years of irreplaceable experiences and memories.[17]
Between tours, Joseph worked extensively in recording studios on music ranging from rock and pop to rhythm and blues and orchestration with numerous artists from RCA, Epic, Warner Brothers, and Polygram Records,[18] in addition to performing in an elaborate national keyboard show tour with various musicians.[19] In 2003, he returned for the 60-city Ethnicity tour.[20]
Sheena Easton
Joseph also performed with Sheena Easton for four years as her co-musical director and lead keyboardist.[21] He went from Yanni to Easton and back to Yanni in a few years. [22]
Working with Easton was "...a shock in musical styles but a welcome change."[8]
In a 1995 interview, he said that after five years of touring with Yanni and working on his own debut album, he needed a break. Yanni was still building his career and maintained a hectic concert schedule. Working with Easton, on the other hand, was "the best of both worlds".[4] Tour venues with her included Japan, Indonesia, Puerto Rico, and the United States,[6] as well as routine appearances in Las Vegas and Atlantic City.[4] In March 1995, he appeared with her on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno when she performed her new single at the time, "My Cherie".[23]
Solo career
More Core Records
In 1994, between world tours, Joseph released his debut album, Hear the Masses, a self-produced, self-published release under the More Core Records label consisting of 10 original compositions. He invited most of the Yanni band to contribute.[8]
Narada
Joseph's music is backed by 15 talented musicians, some playing three or more different instruments, that make up a symphony of sounds ranging from quietly pensive mood music to a rich orchestration of classical depth and breadth.
— Ken Moore, Naples Daily News[24]
Joseph's style attracted the attention of Narada Productions,[25] a Virgin Records subsidiary, via the World Wide Web. This resulted in Narada signing Joseph to a multi-record deal, according to Peter Spellman of the Berklee College of Music.[26] The outcome was Rapture, containing intimate piano pieces, quartets, and full orchestral works.[6] It reached ZMR's "Airwaves Top 30" at No. 15 in July 1997.[27] This album was recorded at a number of different studios including Captain and Tennille's studio in Los Angeles,[8] and Pachyderm Studio in Cannon Falls, Minnesota.[28] In addition to a core band including Charlie Adams on percussion, Charlie Bisharat on violin, and Steven Trochlil on clarinet, Joseph brought in a 50-piece orchestra, and conducted and wrote all the scores.[8]
Robbins Island Music
Although Joseph said that working with Narada was a great experience music-wise, he did not like the lack of control over the end product and asked to be released from his contract.[8] He started Robbins Island Music in 1998, composing, producing, and distributing his own recordings. Solo Journey was released and consists of eleven soft piano compositions that are based on mood and not on melody.[29] It is characterized by Debbage as being a "scaled down introspective, ... and while simplistic was still breath-taking."[30]
Later releases include Christmas Around the World reaching ZMR's Top 100 Radio Playlist;[31] and One Deep Breath also holding a position on ZMR's Top 100 Radio Chart for over six months.[32]
The special audiences and beautiful cities inspired me to compose after sound checks... What an inspiration it was for me to sit alone on stage in these grand arenas and compose music.[33]
Joseph returned as a featured instrumentalist during Yanni's 2003 Ethnicity world tour,[34] and wrote his sixth album on stage after sound checks.[33] The Journey Continues, a sequel to Solo Journey.[35]
Subsequent releases include For the Love of It, Piano Love Songs, and Hymns and Spiritual Songs. On these albums, Joseph arranges piano, orchestra, and soft rhythms to cover melodies such as "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" (Burt Bacharach), "Fields of Gold" (Sting), and "Ave Maria" (Schubert). He has produced numerous CD and DVD projects designed for pets in a Music Pets Love series.[36][37] He has also produced a four-CD set of Nature Sounds and has published many of his compositions in sheet music form. His music is used throughout the DVD, Isle Royale Impressions Volume II, containing video footage by Carl TerHaar of scenery and wildlife from the Isle Royale National Park in Michigan.[38]
In April 2013, Joseph released his first album of original compositions in 10 years entitled Paint the Sky which debuted at #15 on ZMR's Top 100 Radio Chart. It is self-described as "piano instrumentals with a cinematic feel".[39] He received requests from listeners to do another CD with original compositions that incorporate lush orchestration along with the piano, similar to Hear The Masses and Rapture.[3]
Accolades and achievements
Joseph was named one of the "Ten Outstanding Young Minnesotans" (TOYM) of 2004 by the Minnesota Jaycees.[40][41][42] In April 2008 he was presented the "WPS Foundation Arts and Academics Hallmarks of Pride" award for outstanding achievements by an alumnus.[29]
Joseph's music has been heard in regular rotation in the United States and Canada by more than 160 major radio networks including XM and Sirius satellite radio, DMX; in the United Kingdom including RTÉ lyric fm; as well as airwaves in Japan, Spain, China, South-East Asia, Thailand, Germany, Switzerland, and Russia. Airlines such as Aeroméxico, AirTran, Frontier, and JetBlue feature his music in their in-flight music programs. The Weather Channel also utilizes his compositions during the "Local on the 8s" segments, and the song "Friday's Child" is included in their 2008 compilation release, The Weather Channel Presents: Smooth Jazz II.[43]
Paint the Sky (2013) was nominated for Best Neo-Classical Album in the 10th annual ZMR Music Awards.[2]
Thoughts on success as an independent artist
Joseph spends most of his time writing songs, composing arrangements, making recordings, and publishing and distributing his works. "I'm my own boss. I can do what I want. I can change directions", he told West Central Tribune's Anne Polta.[21]
In an interview with author Cicily Janus, Joseph commented that his perspective has changed a great deal from when he was younger. He said, "Everything I did was focused on making good music and being a great musician, not running a business. Yet, it takes a businessperson to bring music to the masses."[44]
When asked by Wheeler what brought him back to Minnesota after living in Los Angeles and traveling around the world, Joseph replied, "The first thing business people say is 'First and foremost, if you want to be successful, live where you want to live'." He grew up there and family were important to him. When he decided to become a solo artist, he wanted to be comfortable in his environment and moved back.[8]
Composition and musical style
Summarize
Perspective
On composing
The piano is always true to me. In times of despair, happiness, and joy, its mood is always my own.[45]
In an interview with Indie Journal, Joseph said that when writing music, he prefers to concentrate on the melody first.[8] This same concept is explained again in a taped interview with the Government Television Network with Joseph explaining that a lot of times he may only come up with part of a melody. Then he would let it rest and come back to it and see if it feels right. Like putting a car together - start with a frame and then start building things around it.[37] Musically, he tries to connect a common bridge between such exhilarating feelings as performing at the Acropolis, to the emotions each and every one feels every day. "In the end, a good melody will always stand the test of time," says Joseph.[8]
Polta reports that he often references the past when he names his songs, and his music is frequently reminiscent of his rural Minnesota roots.[21] "Wind Farmer" was inspired by childhood visits to a relative's farm near Olivia, and his company, Robbins Island Music, is named after a city park in Willmar.[21]
Joseph employs a variety of instruments to compose including the Korg Triton music workstation, Korg SG-1 piano, and occasionally Korg M1. Rack units have included Roland JD-800, and Roland JV-1080 which he says is "great for string layers".[8] The Alesis D4, Yamaha SY22, and Yamaha TG77 which has "some nice ethereal textures" have been utilized; working also with E-mu Systems Proteus 1, Proteus 2, and the E-5000 sampler because it is "easy to use and has a great library."[8]
Musical style
Joseph's musical style and direction have varied over time, having released more than two hundred original compositions and arrangements since 1994. "When I write it, it just kind of moves, because where I am in life is different", Joseph said.[41]
Hear the Masses and Rapture
Joseph's recordings can offer full orchestrations such as in Hear the Masses and Rapture that combine smooth jazz with contemporary instrumental themes.[35] A review of Rapture from New Age Voice states Joseph "paints romantic pictures in sound with voices and instruments that escalate from quiet, intimate passages to big, energetic movements".[46]
Solo Journey and The Journey Continues
In contrast, albums such as Solo Journey and The Journey Continues are considered to be "stripped back and basic" by Debbage, with the latter featuring "Joseph and his piano with no additional clutter". "There is color in the songs via their understated melodies."[35]
One Deep Breath
For the 2002 album One Deep Breath, Joseph combines "structured melodic pieces and free-form ambient compositions",[48] which "departs dramatically from the previous more explosive and dynamic music on his first two recordings, Hear the Masses and Rapture".[49] Binkelman writes, "It is an album with two distinct 'feels' to it: the more serene new age/ambient soundscapes that bookend the inner tracks and the more radio-friendly and mainstream music in-between."[49]
Christmas Around the World and Classic Christmas
Debbage depicts "A Minnesota Snowfall" from Christmas Around the World as taking "a more naked, bare-boned ballad approach."[30] While discussing Classic Christmas, Gerry Grzyb, chairman of the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh sociology department, states that Joseph's usual approach is to play the carol straight, and then add his own twists.[50]
Suites & Sweets
Joseph has also produced numerous CDs that include cover arrangements for piano and orchestra. The 2009 release of Suites & Sweets features compositions by Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, and other classical composers. Joseph told Fredericksen that he, "took the best parts and movements out of those classical songs ... and made it soft and calm all the way through."[1]
Paint the Sky
After requests from listeners for Joseph to do another CD with original compositions that incorporate lush orchestration along with the piano, similar to Hear The Masses and Rapture, Joseph released Paint the Sky in April 2013.[3] It is self-described as "piano instrumentals with a cinematic feel".[39] Kathy Parsons of MainlyPiano states "The thirteen pieces" ...range from tender to majestic. Several pieces are solo piano and others are orchestrated with keyboards to give a vibrant, cinematic effect."[52]
About this album, Binkelman describes the song "Inside the Stars" as "an uptempo, joyous lead piano melody accented by bouncy rhythms played on kit drums, thumping bass, and tambourine plus superlative orchestral strings".[51] Michael Debagge of MainlyPiano states that "the optimism of this album is felt immediately courtesy of the buoyancy of 'Inside The Stars', filled with Joseph's nifty piano work more in the vein of Bruce Hornsby, then layered in strings and percussion work".[53]
In an in-depth analysis of the composition "In Dreams Awake", Binkelman opines that this song bears a strong contemporary classical influence and that some people might even hear strains of Philip Glass' music. He says there is an exultant feel to the melody, but because Joseph maintains absolute control of nuance and shading the song never descends into overblown melodrama or bombast. As the track progresses, the mood and style shifts into a more identifiable new age motif, with more textural synths, bell tones and bell trees, and a more pronounced sweeping sensation of subdued grandeur. The Glass-like motif returns for the song's finale.[51]
Binkleman goes on to say that the song "Into the Big Blue" should instantly call Aaron Copland to mind – it has the same BIG orchestral/cinematic sound to it, along with Copland-esque western rhythm and melodic motifs.[51] Similarly, Debbage states that this song brings to mind the musical opening theme of that old western television show The Big Valley.[53]
In reference to the song "Secrets of the Sun", Binkelman describes "lush strings and gorgeous new age synths with the piano melody here brimming with a blend of the ethereal and the romantic with a dash of wistfulness besides". The synth sounds remind him a little of Ray Lynch.[51] Parsons details this as "much calmer and more graceful with a piano melody and keyboard enhancements."[52] Debbage writes that "the remainder of the album is filled with Joseph's uncanny ability to compose elegant and emotive ballads. Back track to 'Secrets Of The Sun' that gently sways in the piano and string arrangements with similar results found on 'The Edge Of My Heart'.[53]
Genres and radio formats
Generally, Joseph's music gets airplay in the adult contemporary, smooth jazz, easy listening, and beautiful music radio formats, and while some is classified in the new age genre, he considers contemporary instrumental to fit his style of playing the best.[8] In discussing Rapture, John Blake of The Atlanta Journal notes that often new age music sounds as if it should be played in a supermarket. The songs can sound like musical cotton candy — soft, airy and ultimately uninteresting. "For the most part, Bradley's music doesn't make that mistake."[54]
Discography
Studio albums
- 1994 - Hear the Masses
- 1997 - Rapture, Narada
- 1999 - Solo Journey
- 2000 - Christmas Around the World
- 2002 - One Deep Breath
- 2003 - The Journey Continues
- 2005 - For the Love of It
- 2006 - Piano Love Songs
- 2007 - Hymns and Spiritual Songs
- 2008 - Classic Christmas
- 2008 - Music Pets Love Series (2004–2008)
- 2009 - Suites & Sweets
- 2010 - "Rest and Relax" Series: Forest Sounds, Ocean Waves, Thunder, and Nature Sounds with Music
- 2013 - Paint the Sky
Credits
- 1993 - In My Time, Private Music
- 1994 - Live at the Acropolis, Private Music
- 1999 - The Private Years, Private Music
- 2010 - The Essential Yanni, Masterworks
See also
Notes
External links
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