UPDATE:
Due to inclement weather tonight’s free Concert in the Park has been moved from Vernon Worthen Park to The Electric Theater at 68 E Tabernacle at 7:30 PM.
Bradley Leighton has a unique and powerful sound with a fire and flair not usually heard nor expected from a flutist, and he will be bringing this passion and intensity to the final show of the City of St. George Concert in the Park 2015 Series on Monday, Sept. 14 at Vernon Worthen Park.
Jim Santella of the LA Jazz Scene magazine wrote, “[Leighton] exhibits the musical virtuosity that has carried his career around the world.” Leighton’s style of swing evolved from listening to the big, high-octane bands of Kenton, Herman, and Ferguson in the ‘60s and ‘70s while his funkiness derives from years of listening to Tower of Power, the Brecker Brothers, Earth, Wind & Fire, and countless other soul and rhythm and blues acts. With four highly respected recordings under the Pacific Coast Jazz label and numerous features on other artists’ CDs, Leighton has established himself as one of the worlds premier flute players.
Leighton’s recording projects, “Just Doin’ Our Thang” (2005), “Back to the Funk” (2006), and his most recent CD, “Soul Collective” (2009), were each nominated “Best Jazz Album of the Year” by the
San Diego Music Awards Academy and continue to receive national radio airplay and promotion. He has performed across the U.S. and internationally as both a sideman and bandleader for over 25 years. He has opened for the Greater Hartford Jazz Festival (featuring Joyce Cooling and Gerald Albright) and has headlined for the Gainesville Jazz Festival, Tacoma Jazz Festival, and Rancho Mirage Art Affaire. He continuously performs at recognized clubs like Brooklyn Jazz Cafe in Dallas, Scat Jazz Lounge in Ft. Worth, Humphreys, Anthology, and Dizzy’s in San Diego, and a multitude of clubs and festivals across the United States. Summer 2010 found him performing at the Omaha Summer Arts Festival, the Takoma Park Jazz Festival, the MD Jazz Festival, Wilbert’s in Cleveland, and The Carlyle Club in Virginia among many others as a part of his “Music for Life” tour.
A Yamaha Performing Artist since January 2006, Leighton is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm of music as a clinician and educator. Besides teaching private lessons and being a flute coach at the Music Magnet School of Oak Park Elementary in San Diego, Bradley leads workshops and clinics for musicians of all skill levels, including “Jazz Improvisation for the Classically Trained Flutist” and “Music For Life—Improvisation for the Adult Amateur Musician.” Bradley is a board member of the San Diego Flute Guild and a participating member of the National Flute Association as well as the leader of the Rancho Penasquitos Flute Choir and the Penasquitos Jazz Flute Choir. He also devotes his time to performing for a number of philanthropic organizations in San Diego.
The Concert in the Park 2015 Series is sponsored by the City of St. George with funding from the Utah Division of Arts and Museums, the State of Utah, and the National Endowment for the Arts. The Bradley Leighton concert is free to the public and will start at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 14 at Vernon Worthen Park, located at 300 S 400 E in St. George. Park seating is available. Bring blankets, lawn chairs, food, and family. For more information, call (435) 627-4525.
