Andrea Brachfeld

Flutist, composer, arranger, producer, educator, business owner, Andrea Brachfeld, is a graduate of The High School of Music and Art and the Manhattan School of Music. Study with Hubert Laws, Jimmy Heath, George Coleman, and Mike Longo helped her develop her own improvisational style.

Since she began her professional career as a musician at age 16, she has recorded and played many different genres of music including funk, Country Western, Charanga, Salsa, Latin Jazz, devotional music and Jazz. Some of the many artists she has associated with include Wayne Wallace, Bobby Carcassés, Oscar Hernandez, Alfredo de la Fé, Ralph Irrizarry, Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, Joe Newman, Hubert Laws, Nestor Torres, Dave Valentín, Paquito D’Rivera, Kenwood Dennard, Hilton Ruiz, Steve Turre, Wycliffe Gordon, Wallace Roney, and Bill O’ Connell among many others.

Her breakthrough performance as the flutist for the popular Latin band Charanga ’76, catapulted her into Salsa history and fame as the first female flutist to play this music in the United States.

As a high school student, she received the “Louis Armstrong Award for Outstanding Student” from Jazz Interactions, an organization created by Joe and Rigmor Newman. Downbeat magazine referred to Andrea as “one of the finest jazz flutists around.” She has twice been the recipient of the Latin New York Music Award. She received the Chico O’Farrill Lifetime Achievement Award from Latin Jazz USA in Oct. 2006 and the “Pionero Award” in 2010 for her contribution to Latin music.She was also awarded the, “Tribute to the Charanga Flutes,” given by Charanga Legends USA, in August of 2012.

While in Venezuela, having been contracted by music impressario, Renato Capriles, she had the honor of opening for Chick Corea and Paco de Lucia with her first Latin Jazz band in 1982.

Her first Latin Jazz CD, “Remembered Dreams” combines original music with jazz harmony and Latin rhythms. Her second CD, “Back With Sweet Passion”, is a dynamic Charanga Jazz recording featuring Grammy winner Oscar Hernandez on piano and Alfredo De La Fé on violin. Her third CD “Beyond Standards”, a collaborative effort with Chembo Corniel, which features jazz greats Hilton Ruiz on piano, Steve Turre on trombone, and Pedrito Martinez on vocals. Her most recent Latin Jazz CD, “Into the World: A Musical Offering” features guest artists Mike Longo, Paul West, and Brian Lynch. Her first jazz CD named, “Lady of the Island,” was released in October of 2012 by ZOHO music featuring Wallace Roney, Wycliffe Gordon, and Bill O’Connell, longtime musical director for Dave Valentín. Bill also produced the record as well as wrote the arrangements.

She has appeared with the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra as a soloist performing her own compositions as well as those of Mike Longo, longtime musical director for Dizzy Gillespie.

Andrea has traveled to Cuba a number of times to perform at the Havana Jazz Festival and most recently traveled to Peru to play at the International Flute Festival. She is also an integral part of the Wallace Roney,”Universe” Orchestra playing Wayne Shorter’s long lost music originally written for Miles Davis.

In September of 2015 she was awarded the title of “Best Jazz Flutist” by Hot House Magazine and has a new CD coming out on Jazzheads Records called “Lotus Blossom” in October of 2015. The featured performers on the CD include Bill O’ Connell, Rufus Reid, Winard Harper , Chembo Corniel, and special guest appearances by Wycliffe Gordon and Nancy Harms.

Gear

Haynes Flute, RS Berkeley Alto Flute ,Burkhardt piccolo

Show less

Played (the) “Lotus Blossom” track last night on Jazz After Dark. Very, very nice track. You sound great!!! And, I must add that Lotus Blossom is the best jazz CD that you have released to date. Your flute vocabulary is purely Andrea Brachfeld at its finest!!! Arthur Barron Jazz After Dark 88.9 WDNA Public Radio Miami, Florida

Rick’s Pick Andrea Brachfeld is a flutist equally comfortable playing Latin jazz or straight- ahead swing/bop/postbop styles; her tone is consistently warm and woody, her phrasing lithe, her time impeccable. And she possesses that essential but rare trait: the ability to express herself deeply without taxing the patience of the listener. Listen, for example, to the way she jumps from the decorous abstractions of “A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing” to the skipping boppishness of “If I Love Again,” and note how her solos in both cases pay deep respect to the tunes while never letting us forget who she is. The whole album is like that, and there’s something here for just about every jazz fan. Rick Anderson November 2, 2015 www.cdhotlist.com

“Andrea Brachfield is a revelation! She is excellent and has actually the “Chops” to play credible jazz flute! This would have been possible by her great backing trio of Billy O’Connell, Winard Harper, and Rufus Reid. Will use her music for months to come.” – Peter Kuller, Jazz Presenter Radio Adelaide, JPL “Jazz from Down Under”

A conversation with Jersey City flute player Andrea Brachfeld about her music can quickly head down some unexpected and revelatory paths, filled with expressions such as “vibrational universe,” “chakras,” and “evolution of the soul.” But don't let the New Age-y vernacular cloud your senses. Brachfeld is at the top of her game. She's an in-demand jazz musician who tore up the Charanga music scene for years… …Brachfeld this month released her sixth CD, “Lotus Blossom,” an improvisational jazz tour de force… …For now, nothing seems to be blocking Brachfeld's path to success. After a lifetime of study, practice, and self-discovery, she is playing the music she wants to play with the musicians she wants to play with. ”It's a search for universal sound, a vibration that everybody will feel,” Brachfeld said of her goal as a musician. “Ultimately, it's more about being much more introspective and getting as deep as possible to the truth in yourself.” The Jersey Journal www.NJ.com October 27, 2015 Ken Thorbourne

Show less

Primary Instrument

Flute

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Credentials/Background

Certifications in Music K-12, Elementary K-8
Graduated Manhattan School of Music 1978
Masters in Education from Rutgers University 1985

Clinic/Workshop Information

Primary Instrument

Flute

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Credentials/Background

Certifications in Music K-12, Elementary K-8
Graduated Manhattan School of Music 1978
Masters in Education from Rutgers University 1985

Clinic/Workshop Information

The History of the Flute in Jazz This workshop will focus on how the flute has been integrated into mainstream jazz since the early 1900’s. A historical and musical timeline including DVD’s and excerpts from recordings will also be included.The flute has traditionally been associated with players who double on saxophones and other woodwind instruments .This workshop will present a positive viewpoint on how flutists have evolved to have a significant and unique voice in jazz as a solo instrument focusing on the individual’s voice as an artist. The Role of the Flute in Cuban Music: 1900s to the present This multimedia presentation will present pertinent historical facts of Cuba as it relates to the integration of the flute into popular Cuban music. You will hear the first recording made by Thomas Edison in 1902 followed by important clips of recordings and videos which will show a clear timeline of the development of the different styles of Cuban music where the flute was featured. Dance steps will also be included as this music has always been intended for dancers. Learning Jazz Improvisation: A Systematic Guaranteed Approach This approach provides a clear and concise step by step method of how to play jazz. Some of the major components include learning about key historical events which influenced the cultural development of jazz and the most important people who contributed to the innovations of the music, jazz ear training, applicable and functional theory to learn how to improvise, and a three tier system of conscious, sub conscious and the super conscious methodology of learning. This approach will enable the learner to use any previously learned music and show how to directly connect it and apply it to the process of improvisation. Curing Focal Dystonia: A Personal Success Story In this presentation I will share my personal success story of how I cured myself of Focal Dystonia in my hands. Focal Dystonia is an extremely debilitating dysfunction which has been occurring more and more in professional musicians’ lives.I will also discuss the different strategies I used for healing and questions we must all address in order to prevent this dysfunction as well as any other musicians’ injuries that are quickly becoming commonplace in the field. Please read this published article of a personal story of how I healed myself of Focal Dystonia. Vacation Meditation This experiential workshop is designed to promote inner peace and happiness through a combination of music, storytelling and meditation. Included in each session are deep breathing exercises and gentle asana postures, followed by meditative flute music and a brief period of silence. The workshop concludes with an improvisational flute performance. For more details please visit vacationmeditation.com. Healing Hands with Love This is an offering to those in need of healing. Please contact me privately so that we may discuss your concerns.

Show less