Patrick Bradley

PATRICK BRADLEY
In youth, an air of invincibility pervades our every move, thought and action. As the years tick by, we begin to gain a sense of mortality. Some have gone as far as pondering if there are a fixed number of breaths or heartbeats in a lifetime. Once we encounter the Great Inevitability - the realization that one day our time will come to pass on - which often arrives when faced with the passing of a parent or a close loved one, an awareness that our time on this plane is swiftly fleeting encompasses our being. It’s a moment of maturation and how we respond sets the tone for the rest of our life. Do we mourn, mope and meander aimlessly squandering our limited time under the sun or do we celebrate and live fully with hope the infinite beauty and possibilities that exist in each gifted moment in the effort to make every second count?
On keyboardist Patrick Bradley’s birthday in 2007, his father passed away. Exactly eleven months later, his mother departed this world. A devout and spiritually-grounded man, Bradley turned to his faith. He introspected and read the book of Ecclesiastes, reflecting on life and his purpose. This period became the foundation from which the songs that comprise his second album, Under The Sun, were spawned.
“The idea behind this record is to enjoy and celebrate life during the brief time we have under the sun pursuing dreams, hopes and aspirations. These songs were written in times of joy, sorrow and triumph, yet all with an eye on eternity. Life is speeding by and my hope is that people take time to prioritize and tend to the important things instead of wasting time frivolously chasing the mad pursuits of this world,” said Bradley.
He had already written ten of Under The Sun’s eleven songs and sent demos to Jeff Lorber, a jazz fusion keyboard pioneer, songwriter and producer to whom he was introduced through mutual friend, sax sensation Dave Koz. Lorber liked what he heard and agreed to produce the album. He also helped refine and sharpen the writing on eight compositions.
“Jeff (Lorber) really helped hone my craft as a songwriter and a musician. Since we’re both keyboardists and he is, after all, a legend, I wondered if I’d be intimidated working with him, but not at all. It was an eye-opening experience and he brought me to another level. He helped me gain greater focus and define the instrumentation to maintain the true feel and emotion of the songs. Jeff noticed my unique style and he didn’t want to interfere with it. My sound naturally leans towards fusion and funk,” said Bradley, who played piano, organ, keyboards and Moog synthesizers on the album.
“Musically, I want to convey a sense of hope, adventure and advocate trusting the Lord to make our path straight.” That goal served as the underlying message of the opening track and first radio single, “Straight Path.” Bradley refers to the deep-pocketed cut that has garnered airplay across the nation as his “life verse.”
A lilting and joyous love fest with a cascading Bradley piano hook, “Into the Sunset” was written for his wife, Lisa. “The song is about leaving everything behind and riding off into the sunset with the love of your life,” Bradley shared. “Michael Thompson’s acoustic guitar was totally unexpected and gave the track a very different feel. It gave me a ‘Wow!’ moment in the studio because it sounded so great.”
A mélange of keyboard electronics powers the calculating and computing “A Message,” which has a distinctly urban edge. “Jeff and I were in the studio listening to demos of potential songs to record and about seven minutes into one track, Jeff found a short section that caught his attention. That one little section became the basis of the entire song. Once we had that snippet, the rest of the song just fell into place in the studio,” Bradley shared.
Seductive and sultry, “Just Let Go” is a dreamy R&B meditation graced with Koz’s soothing sax and Irene B’s alluring vocals. “For me, this song is about letting go and not worrying about how things will work out,” said Bradley. “Collaborating with Irene took the song to a different dimension and Dave (Koz) delivered a masterful performance that sent the song soaring into a new place of beauty and passion. David Mann’s brass arrangements were truly remarkable.”
Infused with Bradley’s enthusiasm for road cycling, he offers a taste of the adrenaline rush experienced while descending a twisty road in a pack on “Slipstream,” which includes a lead-out from Braun’s flugelhorn and trumpet. “Initially we weren’t sure if the solo would be a sax or trumpet, but once we decided on Rick (Braun), he just blew it up!”
The unpredictability of life is the focus of “Time and Chance,” which goes for it fearlessly while challenging listeners with astute, shuffling beats and wandering melodies that allow the musicians to toss the ball around the horn with each instrumental voice taking a turn. “Much like the overall t