BIO
Brad has been working on a budding music career for the past 7 years, since completing the 4-year jazz program at St FX University in 2002. Although he studied the saxophone first, his interests and the demands placed on him as a working musician led him towards the other woodwinds (flute and clarinet), and also to the fiddle, guitar, and bagpipes association with his Cape Breton roots.
In the fall of 2002 he started working as a side musician in numerous house bands aboard luxury cruise ships, and in 2008-2009 held a position as musical director on one of these ships. Sailing the seas primarily during the winter months, Brad returns home to Halifax for the vibrant summer music scene.
He has had the opportunity to perform with Joel Mason and his touring Elton John tribute show, Johnny Thunder (formerly of the Drifters), Eddie Holman (“Hey there Lonely Girl”), Australia’s Michael “Banjo” Young, local country artist Rylee Madison, Halifax honkytonk hero Ryan Cook, along with various other artists, events and venues around the Maritimes.
Brad’s versatility of styles and instruments continues to open many doors for him, and led to the recent release of his first traditional Cape Breton fiddle album, “The Conundrum”, on which he recorded both the fiddle and guitar. Brad maintains his connection to the traditional music by performing as a member of the Cape Breton Fiddlers' Association.
Brad performs professionally as either a side musician or featured performer on all of the following instruments: saxophone, flute, clarinet, keyboards, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, banjo, and highland bagpipes.
www.bradreid.ca
