Vocalist/composer BRENDA ALFORD began her musical career in 1978 in Baltimore, Maryland, just three days after meeting and talking with the great jazz singer, Ella Fitzgerald. Since that time, BRENDA has performed jazz, pop, and gospel in concerts in North America, the Caribbean, and Asia. She has worked with some of the greatest names in jazz: Pete Minger; Stanley Turrentine; Sonny Stitt; Philly Jo Jones; Sam Jones; Tommy Flanagan; Keter Betts; Lou Donaldson; Ron Carter; Al Foster; and Cyrus Chestnut, to name a few.

MS. ALFORD has also recorded with jazz piano legend Horace Silver on the Blue Note label, and performed in concert with saxophone innovator Flip Phillips, formerly of the Woody Herman band. She sings on pianist Billy Marcus’ c.d., “Hamp”- a tribute to Lionel Hampton, and, at Mr. Hampton’s request, performed with Billy and a South Florida all-star band at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in Moscow, Idaho for his 90th birthday.

Her own recordings include “Brenda Alford Live at Morgan State,” a single, “Last Night In Baltimore,” and most recently, “My Favorite Things,” recorded in concert at Fort Lauderdale, Florida’s Old Dillard Museum with the Othello Mollineaux quartet- featuring Othello on the steel pan, Mike Gerber on piano, Nick Orta on bass, and Ernesto Simpson, Jr. on drums.

BRENDA has also performed in two movies- Jon Waters’ “Hairspray,” and Barry Levinson’s Avalon.

BRENDA ALFORD currently resides in South Florida. She has attended the University of Miami as a jazz vocal performance major, and her compositions have been performed by the award-winning University of Miami jazz vocal ensemble, J.V.1, under the direction of Larry Lapin. She presently teaches in Dade County Public Schools, where she has been honored at her school , by Dade County, and the city of Homestead, Florida V.F.W. Auxiliary Post as Teacher of the Year.