Born in Austin, Texas and raised in Altadena, California, Carmen Bradford grew up with music in her home and in her heart. It was only natural that Carmen would follow in the footsteps of her great family legacy being the daughter of legendary trumpeter/composer Bobby Bradford and world renowned vocalist/composer Melba Joyce. Her grandfather Melvin Moore sang with Lucky Millender’s Big Band in the 1940’s making Carmen the third generation of incredible musicians. She has carved out a place in music history for herself and is playing an integral role in this uniquely American art form called jazz.

Carmen was discovered and hired by Mr. Count Basie and was the featured vocalist in the legendary Count Basie Orchestra for nine years. She has since performed and/or recorded with: Wynton Marsalis, Shelly Berg, John Clayton along with the Clayton Hamilton Orchestra, Nancy Wilson, Doc Severinsen, Tony Bennett, James Brown, Patti Austin, Byron Stripling, Dori Caymmi, George Benson, Lena Horne, Frank Sinatra, Joe Williams, DIVA Jazz Orchestra, the National Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and countless artists around the world. Carmen performed on two GRAMMY Award winning albums with the Basie band in the 1980’s and later collaborated on a third GRAMMY Award winning album, Big Boss Band, with guitarist George Benson in 1991. Her soulful voice warmed the hearts of Americans through the celebrated performance of the classic duet, “How Do You Keep the Music Playing?” on the Johnny
Carson Show that same year.

Carmen began another chapter in her illustrious career as a solo artist with her critically acclaimed debut album, Finally Yours (Evidence Records) in 1992. The 1995 release of her second solo album, With Respect, (Evidence Records) established the Atlanta-based singer as one of jazz music’s most diverse and exciting vocal stylists proving to the world that Carmen Bradford was a unique voice in jazz in her own right.

Carmen teamed with singer/composer Kenny Rankin for the Benny Carter Songbook Project making history once again. As Carmen looked around the room she exclaimed “What an honor!” upon seeing many faces of music history involved in the making of this special album. Some notable attendees were Joe Williams, Ruth Brown, Bobby Short, Peggy Lee, Shirley Horn, Jon Hendricks, Diana Krall, Dianne Reeves, among others. Carmen was chosen to sing Key Largo for this GRAMMY Award-winning album. Her performance on The Benny Carter Songbook marked Carmen’s
fourth studio collaboration reaffirming her stardom.

On occasion, Carmen has loaned her talented voice to stage productions and the music of Hollywood films. She sang on the haunting soundtrack for Oprah Winfrey’s Beloved, and recently starred in the title role of Duke Ellington’s Folk Opera Queenie Pie at the University of Texas, Butler School of Music.

At present, Carmen Bradford is doing it all whether it’s a duo concert with Shelly Berg, Big Band with the ladies of DIVA, or her new favorite, performing with Symphony Orchestras around the world. Carmen Bradford’s body of work reflects a vast depth of musical experience and technical brilliance. She is also recognized for the overwhelming passion she brings to the lyric.

Randall Gremillion is a former Metropolitan Opera Regional Finalist and winner of the Jan de Gaetani Prize at the the Naumburg Competition in New York. He was an Apprentice Artist at Indianapolis Opera and then spent five years in the cast of Phantom of the Opera in San Francisco before turning to Engineering and helping to raise his four amazing children with his wife Kathleen.

Kathleen and Randall, both members of Pacific Chorale, currently give recitals and are section leaders at St. Matthew’s Anglican Church in Newport Beach.

Praised by the Orange County Register as being “resonant and warm” and by the classical music site Bachtrack as “a ringing stentorian tenor”, Hawaii native Nicholas Preston, is in demand as a soloist in Southern California and beyond, having performed throughout California, and touring as a soloist in France, Italy, and Spain. He has been a member of Pacific Chorale since 2002, and has frequently appeared as a soloist with the chorale as well as with Pacific Symphony. Nicholas currently resides in Brea, with his wife Dr. Kathleen Preston and their daughter Zelda.

I-Chin “Betty” Feinblatt, Mezzo-Soprano, is a graduate of California State University, Fullerton in Vocal Performance and Music Education. She currently sings professionally with Pacific Chorale, the John Alexander Singers and First Presbyterian Church in Old Town Orange. Ms. Feinblatt has performed as a chorister and soloist with Pacific Chorale on numerous occasions, most recently as the mezzo soloist in Duruflé’s Requiem in March 2009 and an alto soloist in Bach’s St. John’s Passion in April 2009. Among her Southland solo performances was her performance as alto soloist of “Messiah” with The National Children’s Choir formally known as The Paulist Chorister at The Broad Stage of Santa Monica in June 2009, and The Camerata Singers of Long Beach in Dec. 2009.

Ms. Feinblatt also was one of the guest artists of “Organica” a concert at UCLA’s Royce Hall with organist Christoph Bull in April 2009. Ms. Feinblatt is a frequent guest of “Organica”. In June 2008, her performance in “Organica” was reviewed by Charles Lonberger in The Beverly Hills Outlook: “Best of all the guest artists… who vocally caressed art songs by Fauré and Gounod with a low, velvety dark yet strong and sturdy instrument… She was a wonder and a revelation this night.”

Ms. Feinblatt was a featured soloist in the world premiere of The Passion of Ramakrishna by Phillip Glass at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in September 2006. She was also the mezzo soloist in Bach’s Mass in B Minor at the Orange County Performing Arts Center with the John Alexander Singers in October 2004. Ms. Feinblatt has been a vocal music teacher at Fountain Valley High School since spring 2007. She currently studies with voice teacher Monika Bruckner in Sherman Oaks and has coached with Dr. Kathleen Roland-Silverstein in Studio City.

Countless theater, television, film and comedic endeavors have pushed David Alan Grier’s career to remarkable heights and his ability to excel across all mediums and contexts is a testament to his inherent sense of comic timing and creative drive. The three-time Tony and GRAMMY Award nominee was trained in Shakespeare at Yale where he received an MFA from the Yale School of Drama. Grier has enjoyed many accolades and awards throughout his career, not the least of which was his inclusion on Comedy Central’s list of the “100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time.”

On the big screen, David Alan Grier was recently seen starring in PEEPLES, produced by Tyler Perry, opposite Kerry Washington and Craig Robinson. Grier made his film debut in STREAMERS (1983), directed by Robert Altman for which he won the Golden Lion for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival. He also appeared in the Wayans Brothers’ spoof movie DANCE FLICK (2009).

Grier’s television work is highlighted by a turn as principal cast member on the Emmy Award winning In Living Color (1990–1994) where he helped to create some of the show’s most memorable characters, DAG (2000–2001) and Life with Bonnie (2003) which earned an Image and Golden Satellite nomination. David created, wrote and executive produced a show for Comedy Central called Chocolate News (2008). Last fall, David starred in THE WATSONS GO TO BIRMINGHAM, a Hallmark Channel adaptation of Paul Curtis’ 1996 Newbery Award-winning novel by the same name. Grier recently wrapped shooting a starring role as ‘Principal Carl Gaines’ in a new series for CBS, Bad Teacher.

Grier began his professional career on Broadway as Jackie Robinson in The First, for which he earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical and won the Theatre World Award (1981). He then joined the cast of Dreamgirls before going on to star opposite Denzel Washington in A Soldier’s Play, for which both actors reprised their roles in the film adaptation, A SOLDIER’S STORY (1984).

In 2009/2010 Grier starred in David Mamet’s acclaimed play RACE opposite James Spader and Kerry Washington at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Broadway for which he received his second Tony Award nomination. Grier received the third Tony Award nomination of his career in 2012 for his performance in the “stand-out role of the rakish, drug-dealing Sporting Life” (NY Times) in The Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess. Grier received his first GRAMMY nomination when the cast recording of The Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess received a 2013 GRAMMY Award nomination for Best Musical Theater Album.

Jamieson Price is a Long Beach actor and voice artist. He appeared with Jason Isaacs and Mel Gibson in The Patriot, and has been a guest star on Frasier, Days of Our Lives, Without a Trace, and According to Jim, and, most recently, on HBO’s new series Westworld.

Jamieson is the narrator the Long Beach Symphony’s educational outreach percussion ensemble in Long Beach elementary schools. He also announces the names of graduates for Commencement here at Cal State Long Beach and at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

His credits include the “Voice of God” in LA Opera’s bi-annual production of Benjamin Britten’s Noah’s Flood at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown LA; the voice of the villain “Dark Mayhem” on Nickelodeon’s The Thundermans; the audiobook, Exile, Texas by Roxanne Longstreet Conrad for Audible; and many characters in multiple campaigns of World of Warcraft, as well as a few for Starcraft 2. He provided the voice for the male Monk player character in the video game Diablo III, and his voice is heard on more than 200 different television programs, anime series, and video games, including Pair of Kings, Ever After High, Akira, Fate Zero, Metropolis, Halo, Transformers and Mortal Kombat, where he is the announcer as well as several additional characters.

Colby Benson is a vocalist, songwriter and performer from Hawaii, now based in Los Angeles, California. She is best known as the lead singer and founder of the all-girl band, “Crimson Apple”, who’s debut album, Hello, was nominated for three Na Hoku Hanohano Awards.

Colby began training and performing at the age of 9, and spent her early years in musical theater. Her highlights include Aida (Amneris), Once On This Island (Asaka), and High School Musical (Sharpay). At the age of 15, she was chosen as one of only 325 people out of over 100,000 who made it to American Idol’s Hollywood Week season 10. She’s recently recorded background vocals for Empire of the Sun, Aidan James, and Joni Llamedo. This past year she also made her debut with the Hawaii POPs and the Long Beach Symphony. One of her favorite accomplishments is having the opportunity to sing with Hawaiian legends, HAPA.

Colby has won numerous awards and contests, including winning 1st place vocalist for the Hawaii Stars and Catch a Rising Star competitions. Her awards for songwriting including 1st place in the Humane Society’s songwriting contest, 2nd in the Grammy Teens Make Music contest, and 3rd place in Ford’s National “Belt it Out” songwriting contest.

Colby currently studies voice under the direction of International Recording Artist, Kristian Lei.

Born and raised in Montana, Aaron C. Finley’s career has spanned from coast to coast as a professional actor and singer. Educated at Pacific Lutheran University in Seattle, he quickly became at top-tier talent in the Pacific Northwest, appearing in productions of Jesus Christ Superstar (Jesus/Judas), Rent (Roger), Fiddler on the Roof (Perchik), Hairspray (Link Larkin), It Shoulda Been You (Greg Madison) and The Gypsy King (Drago). Among his other regional roles, Aaron originated the role of Billy in the new musical Diner, based on the Barry Levinson film, with music and lyrics by Sheryl Crow and direction by Kathleen Marshall.

Aaron made his Broadway debut in 2013, starring as Drew Boley in Rock of Ages. Earlier this year he took over the role of leading man Brian Howard in It Shoulda Been You, directed by David Hyde Pierce. Among his other work in New York , he participated in a lab production of George Takei’s new musical, Allegiance. He has currently been working on a pops symphony concert celebrating the music of the 1980s that will be performed by symphonies across North America.

Nicole Parker is best known for her portrayal of Elphaba in the Broadway production of Wicked.  Since playing the green witch in the Broadway company, she has reprised the role for the First National Tour of Wicked. Nicole’s other Broadway credits include Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me and The People in the Picture with Donna Murphy.   Regionally, Nicole played Juliet in The Second City’s Romeo and Juliet Musical at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, for which she received a Jeff Award nomination. She also appeared as Rosemary in How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying at Reprise Theater, and Pamina in The Magic Flute at the Falcon Theater.

For six years, Nicole was also a cast member and contributing writer on Fox’s MADtv.  For two years, Nicole was a performer and write forBoom Chicago, an all American sketch and improvisation theater in Amsterdam.  Nicole’s film credits include Funny People, directed by Judd Apatow as well as the short films Weathered and Sitting Babies. This year she was featured as a guest star on the mock game show Bunk on IFC, as well as on ABC in Trust Us With Your Life, an improvisation show from the creators of Whose Line Is It Anyway?    She is also a founding member of Waterwell, a non-profit theater company in New York.

A frequent soloist with orchestras around the country, recent and upcoming performances include Peter Nero and the Philly Pops, Houston Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Utah Symphony and Opera, Colorado Symphony, Greensboro Symphony (where she will return in 2014), Kalamazoo Symphony, Santa Rosa Symphony, Pueblo Symphony, Charleston Symphony, Sarasota Symphony, Orlando Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Dayton Philharmonic, Idaho Civic Symphony, Hamilton Philharmonic, and Fresno Philharmonic.

Denzal Sinclaire is one of Canada’s most popular jazz vocalists and is ranked among the finest jazz singers of his generation. A graduate of McGill University’s Jazz Performance program (Montreal, Canada), he possesses that rare ability to achieve, from the moment he steps on stage, a profound emotional interaction with his audience. His passionate and sincere delivery caresses every song he sings. He touches the listener with the purity of the message.

Denzal is a Juno Award (Canada’s GRAMMY Award) nominee, a recipient of the 2004 National Jazz Award for “Best Album”, four – time consecutive recipient of Jazz Report Magazine Award for Male Jazz Vocalist, and 2007 Choc Jazzman Award (France). His admirers include GRAMMY Award -Winning artists, Diana Krall (“Denzal Sinclaire embodies the tradition of the great singers I love like Nat Cole, yet definitely has his own voice. He is one of my favorite singers…”), Bette Midler, Dianne Reeves, Michael Fienstien and Michael Bublé as well as growing legions of jazz fans in his native Canada and abroad. From his early days as a canny interpreter of Nat ‘King’ Cole’s mentholated crooning, he’s grown into one of the most distinctive and individualistic singers anywhere.

He has graced the stages numerous concert halls and festivals around the world and has appeared on several popular TV shows, including Canada’s Bravo!TV, Canada AM, Nashville Now, Ireland’s The Late Late Show. As a former member of UK soul artist, Jamie Lidell’s band, he has appeared on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Jimmie Kimmel Live!, and Manu Katché’s show One Shot Not (France).

Equally at home in the theatre, film and television arenas, Denzal has delighted audiences with his critically-acclaimed performance in Unforgettable, a musical based on the life and music of Nat King Cole; Tapestry: The Music of Carole King (Arts Club Theatre); William Saroyan’s award-winning The Time of Your Life (Soul Pepper Theatre Company). His TV and film credits include appearances in the new Battlestar Gallactica TV Series (dir. Michael Rymer); and, Being Julia, starring being Annette Bening and Jeremy Irons (dir. István Szabó). Denzal’s voice has also been featured on TV and Radio ads in Canada and Japan.

A pivotal role in Denzal’s career was the collaboration with highly- sought after guitarist/composer/arranger Bill Coon whom he befriended in Montreal. Over the course of 15 years they performed to rave reviews in a variety of musical settings ranging from duo to symphony orchestras, as well as several live radio, television and studio recordings for the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) and SRC (Société Radio-Canada). In 1994, they recorded an album of duets, and in 1996, recorded the very first in-studio concert for Canada’s BRAVO!TV with a unique ten-piece ensemble. They now enjoy a new type of collaboration as members of the Hammond Organ Auartet, The B3 Kings, featuring Bill on guitar; Cory Weeds, tenor sax; Chris Gestrin, B-3 organ; and Denzal on drums and vocals.

He has performed with renowned artists such as Patrice Rushin, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Janis Siegal, Dee Daniels, Kevin Mahagony, Michael Feinstein, Marilyn Mae, Bob Mintzer, Jimmy Heath, Barry Harris, The Count Basie Orchestra, Dame Cleo Laine, Sir John Dankworth, Peter Appleyard, Reuben Rogers, Gregory Hutchinson, Russell Malone, Seamus Blake, Nicholas Payton, Brian Blade, Jamie Lidell, Holly Cole, Vince Giardano & The Nighthawks, David Berger Jazz Orchestra, and the WDR Big Band. The list of artists he has supported includes Diana Krall, Dianne Reeves, Kurt Elling, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Anita Baker, Four Tops, Holly Cole, Bill Charlap, Katie Melhua, Jane Monheit, Matt Dusk. Denzal has recorded three albums for Universal Music, I Found Love (Juno Award Nomination, 2000), Denzal Sinclaire (Best Album, National Jazz Awards, 2004) and My One and Only Love. (CHOC Jazzman Award, France 2007).

Courtesy of Greenberg Artist