Bradley Leighton has been performing for audiences for decades. He earned his first $10 in music by winning his sixth-grade talent competition, and he has been at it ever since.

Right out of high school, Bradley entered the U.S. Army band system, serving for five years as an active-duty and reserve bandsman. Over the past four decades, he has performed with countless bands across a wide range of styles, toured extensively, recorded six well-received albums, and shared the stage with a diverse roster of noted artists. A longtime Yamaha Performing Artist, Bradley has also represented the instrument brand for many years as part of his professional career.

Bradley’s sound was shaped by the music that surrounded him as he came up through the ranks: the jazz and pop of the 1970s, R&B, funk and blues, and the hard-driving big bands of Maynard Ferguson, Stan Kenton, Buddy Rich and Woody Herman. The Brecker Brothers and Tower of Power were also major influences. Those sounds remain at the heart of his playing today—melodic, soulful and rooted in the deep groove and funkiness that defined that era.

After several years away from recording and performing while facing personal and health challenges, Bradley is returning to the music scene with renewed energy and determination. His new single, “Big Island Smoothie,” marks his first new recording in more than four years and the beginning of a full-length album project planned for release in 2027.