Post by Michael Messer on May 6, 2014 13:59:03 GMT
I wish had known about this earlier and posted something on here....
Geoff Bradford, died on Monday, 24th March, 2014, aged 80. He had been ill for a few years.
Geoff was a regular at the Round House pub in Soho in the late 1950s and he recorded with Cyril Davies on many occasions as the acoustic and electric blues scene took shape. Geoff was regarded by his peers as one of the finest guitarists of the early British blues scene in the late 1950s and 60s.
Geoff Bradford - nearly a Rolling Stone.....
Guitarist Geoff Bradford of one of the best kept secrets of the British Blues. In the fifties, along with Cyril Davies, Long John Baldry and Alexis Korner, he was a pioneer of British Blues Music.
In 1962, he was head-hunted by Brian Jones to join his group which was later to become the Rolling Stones. Geoff did not stay with the group; as a blues purist, he felt the band was too commercial.
Geoff went on to define his own unique style, leaving his mark on musicians like Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton.
Continuing his career as a solo artist, Geoff went on to record several albums and CDs to great critical acclaim, and is featured in most British Blues anthologies. His styles include ragtime, jazz and blues. His playing incorporates influences as far apart as Blind Blake, Django Rheinhart and Motown soul.
Testimonials......
Geoff Bradford & Cyril Davies
"I first saw Geoff with the Cyril Davies All Stars at Eel Pie Island in the 60's and later with Long John Baldry at the same venue. I was always struck by his quiet composure whilst playing this Tel or Strat and occasionally his National. Geoff played finger style and here for me was a living link between my early efforts and the great country blues men we both admired.
Many years after those wonderful early day I got to know Geoff and although he often spoke about giving up, I always took that to mean giving up trying to get his love of country blues more widely appreciated, but never to think about giving up playing. We share a colossal admiration for the true guitar pickers like Arthur Blake, Blind Boy Fuller etc. and thankfully Geoff can still smile with delight about getting his fingers around some particularly difficult piece. I guess it was obvious on that you can't really play country blues in a band without regularising the rhythm a la stones and so it remains with the soloist to carry the tradition and they don't come finer or with more integrity than Geoff". RALPH MCTELL
“The Hoochie Coochie Men, were, for my money, the best of the lot, particularly in the short period when they featured Geoff Bradford, a brilliant and unjustly neglected guitarist, with the very young Rod Stewart as a second lead singer.” RICHARD WILLIAMS
"An Innovator" JIMMY PAGE
"One of the original inspirations for all those people that came through the London scene and went on to become famous. An fine finger style guitarist who seems to be playing better than ever". WIZZ JONES
"Geoff Bradford was one of the original players on the early London Blues scene. Geoff has spent his whole life with his guitar playing a thousand miles ahead of his reputation and it would be nice to see his reputation catch up".
PAUL JONES
"I remember a saying that used to be around in the early days of the British Blues scene...anyone can have the blues but can you play the blues". "Geoff Bradford could play the blues".
DAVEY GRAHAM
DISCOGRAPHY
Tribute to Fats Waller da music 874730-2
LP Magnolia Christabel Records CRL 044 (1985)
Rockin' the Blues Black Lion Records BLP 12142 (1979)
The Right String Black Lion Records FLP 99001 (1976)
Long John's Blues. Long John Baldry and the Hoochie Coochie Men (1965)
Re-released on CD by
Beat Goes On Records
CD Geoff Bradford: BGO Records CRL 044 (1985)
The Return of a Guitar Legend
Blues Britannia BRG CD07
VIDEO Masters of British Guitar RNS 001
FILM Living With The Blues Channel Four
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In addition to all that, Geoff was a great help when I was researching the history of Blues slide guitar in Britain. He was also the proud owner of an MM Blues.
R.I.P.
Shine On
Michael
Geoff Bradford, died on Monday, 24th March, 2014, aged 80. He had been ill for a few years.
Geoff was a regular at the Round House pub in Soho in the late 1950s and he recorded with Cyril Davies on many occasions as the acoustic and electric blues scene took shape. Geoff was regarded by his peers as one of the finest guitarists of the early British blues scene in the late 1950s and 60s.
Geoff Bradford - nearly a Rolling Stone.....
Guitarist Geoff Bradford of one of the best kept secrets of the British Blues. In the fifties, along with Cyril Davies, Long John Baldry and Alexis Korner, he was a pioneer of British Blues Music.
In 1962, he was head-hunted by Brian Jones to join his group which was later to become the Rolling Stones. Geoff did not stay with the group; as a blues purist, he felt the band was too commercial.
Geoff went on to define his own unique style, leaving his mark on musicians like Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton.
Continuing his career as a solo artist, Geoff went on to record several albums and CDs to great critical acclaim, and is featured in most British Blues anthologies. His styles include ragtime, jazz and blues. His playing incorporates influences as far apart as Blind Blake, Django Rheinhart and Motown soul.
Testimonials......
Geoff Bradford & Cyril Davies
"I first saw Geoff with the Cyril Davies All Stars at Eel Pie Island in the 60's and later with Long John Baldry at the same venue. I was always struck by his quiet composure whilst playing this Tel or Strat and occasionally his National. Geoff played finger style and here for me was a living link between my early efforts and the great country blues men we both admired.
Many years after those wonderful early day I got to know Geoff and although he often spoke about giving up, I always took that to mean giving up trying to get his love of country blues more widely appreciated, but never to think about giving up playing. We share a colossal admiration for the true guitar pickers like Arthur Blake, Blind Boy Fuller etc. and thankfully Geoff can still smile with delight about getting his fingers around some particularly difficult piece. I guess it was obvious on that you can't really play country blues in a band without regularising the rhythm a la stones and so it remains with the soloist to carry the tradition and they don't come finer or with more integrity than Geoff". RALPH MCTELL
“The Hoochie Coochie Men, were, for my money, the best of the lot, particularly in the short period when they featured Geoff Bradford, a brilliant and unjustly neglected guitarist, with the very young Rod Stewart as a second lead singer.” RICHARD WILLIAMS
"An Innovator" JIMMY PAGE
"One of the original inspirations for all those people that came through the London scene and went on to become famous. An fine finger style guitarist who seems to be playing better than ever". WIZZ JONES
"Geoff Bradford was one of the original players on the early London Blues scene. Geoff has spent his whole life with his guitar playing a thousand miles ahead of his reputation and it would be nice to see his reputation catch up".
PAUL JONES
"I remember a saying that used to be around in the early days of the British Blues scene...anyone can have the blues but can you play the blues". "Geoff Bradford could play the blues".
DAVEY GRAHAM
DISCOGRAPHY
Tribute to Fats Waller da music 874730-2
LP Magnolia Christabel Records CRL 044 (1985)
Rockin' the Blues Black Lion Records BLP 12142 (1979)
The Right String Black Lion Records FLP 99001 (1976)
Long John's Blues. Long John Baldry and the Hoochie Coochie Men (1965)
Re-released on CD by
Beat Goes On Records
CD Geoff Bradford: BGO Records CRL 044 (1985)
The Return of a Guitar Legend
Blues Britannia BRG CD07
VIDEO Masters of British Guitar RNS 001
FILM Living With The Blues Channel Four
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
In addition to all that, Geoff was a great help when I was researching the history of Blues slide guitar in Britain. He was also the proud owner of an MM Blues.
R.I.P.
Shine On
Michael