CityView Magazine - Fayetteville, NC
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/31068
arts ALL THAT JAZZ Fayetteville ensemble gets a second chance | By Kelly Twedell A Left | Essential Elements jazz band performs for the dinner crowd Top | Willie Bradley toots his own horn fter a fresh start, a local Fayetteville jazz band called Essential Elements is taking the jazz scene by storm. If dining out on a Friday or Saturday night, there is a chance that you have already seen them playing their upbeat or sultry tunes. They are booked every fourth Friday to perform for the crowd at Luigi’s and every second and fourth Saturday at Morgan’s Chop House. In February the band just returned from a gig in New York playing for the New York State Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators. They played smooth jazz, cover tunes and some original music at nightly concerts, dinners and after parties. The leader of the band, Willie Bradley has a passion for jazz and is not new on the scene. He is a former high school band director and music teacher. He describes their sound as smooth, energetic, melodic sound and enjoys performing often surprising the audience when he jumps on top the tables or sits on the ladies’ laps to make his trumpet sing even louder. Before Essential Elements re-formed – in more ways than one, the group was called the Willie Bradley Trio that formed back in 2002. After two years they disbanded when Willie needed some time to heal from some alcohol and drug addictions that came along with the music scene. It was no small coincidence that the other two band members also found their way to Mount Sinai Missionary Baptist Church where they all reunited, grew spiritually and became restored. The trio consisting of keyboard player, Ted Ash and drummer, Cornell Young joined Bradley once again playing smooth gospel jazz as part of the church’s outreach ministry for couples and other events under the name of The Kingdom Building Band. When the owner of Luigi’s, Nick Parrous, heard them play in May 2010 he immediately booked them for New Year’s CityViewNC.com | 31