Brad Felt

For over 35 years, Brad Felt (1956-2011) worked to advance the role of both the Tuba and Euphonium as front-line improvising instruments in the idiom of modern jazz. As a product of the fertile Oakland University jazz program if the mid '70's, Mr. Felt went on the receive two fellowships for composition and performance from the National Endowment For The Arts and a creative artist grant for composition from the Michigan Council For The Arts. In addition to working in the Detroit area, he led and co-led groups which have performed at such venues as The Hollywood Palace, Yoshi's At Jack London Square, and Pearl's of North Beach. Brad twice toured Europe as a featured soloist with Howard Johnson's Gravity (including The Barbican Centre in London, and The Fabrik in Hamburg, and many of the top festivals and performance spaces in Germany, Austria, and France) and played Germany's prestigious Moers New Music Festival with Detroit's Kenn Cox & The Guerilla Jam Band. His two CDs as a leader - Exordium and First Call - were released to critical acclaim. Brad Felt performed with Ellis Marsalis, Freddie Hubbard, Dave Liebman, Hank Jones, Jerry Gonzales, Bennie Maupin, Frank Foster, Thad Jones, Annie Ross, Jon Faddis, The Four Tops, Martha Reeves and many others. Mr. Felt taught applied improvisation at The University of Toledo and led The Brad Felt Nuquartet and The Brad Felt Nuquartet Plus.

Awards

Finalist, Hennessy Cognac Jazz Search (1989) Creative Artist Grant for Jazz Composition, Michigan Council for the Arts (1989) Best Jazz Tuba Player, Southeast Michigan Jazz Association Jazz Association Poll (1990) Individual Artist Fellowship for Jazz Performance, National Endowment for the Arts (1990) Individual Artist Fellowship for Jazz Performance, National Endowment for the Arts (1995) Certificate of Appreciation – Outstanding Service to Jazz Education – International Association of Jazz Educators, Toronto (2003)

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