Robert Bradley

Detroit has always been the home of rock & soul music. In recent years if you happened to see a crowd gathered in Greektown or Eastern Market, it might just be that Robert Bradley was playing.

Bradley was the city’s pre-eminent street musician. His voice was gutbucket. His guitar playing was primal, instinct. The music hooked the ears and dragged the body along with it. Best of all, Bradley’s songs were great and almost entirely improvised.

For more than half of his 46 years, the blind singer-songwriter has made a living busking on the streets of Detroit, with occasional forays to other parts of the country to soak up the sense of another locale.

“Most of the time, it was something I’d just write on the spot as it came into my head,” says the Alabama born troubadour, who for the last three years has been fronting this Motor City quintent. “Basically, I’m a singer. I wasn’t on the street because I was hungry, or homeless. I was there because I’m a player. I wanted to sing.”

“Robert Bradley’s voice made me cry when I heard him live, which never happens to me at rock shows.” Ann Marlowe – LA Weekly

As fate would have it, guitarist Michael Nehra, bassist Andrew Nehra and drummer Jeff Fowlkes (former members of the acclaimed Detroit band on EMI Records, Second Self) were recording demos for their own new project at their studio, not far from where Bradley made his living. Michael and Andrew, owners of Detroit’s White Room Studios, were busy producing albums of up and coming bands, and “Shakey” Fowlkes was doing studio work and playing with other area bands.

“We heard this voice coming through the window and thought it was amazing,” remembers Andrew. “We went down and listened to him sing on the street for over an hour, I was left speechless. It was truly a religious moment,” said Michael. “After a lot of convincing, we brought him in and recorded acoustically. We just heard something there with Robert and his acoustic guitar…just that magical feeling you get once in a lifetime.”

From this chance meeting the unique collaboration of Robert Bradley’s Blackwater Surprise was formed. After a couple years of woodshedding and testing the material on diverse audiences, the Nehra brothers took the production seat, with Robert and Jeff, and drawing from their combined influences including classic Motown, Stax, Gospel and rock ‘n’ roll, recorded Robert Bradley’s Blackwater Surprise’s self-titled debut album at their own studio. They recorded in a classic style of primarily live recordings, often keeping the first takes. They also benefited from cameo appearances of friends the Detroit Romance String Section and Eddie Hawrsch of The Black Crowes.

“Bradley sings autobiographical songs influenced by the legendary soul singers, including Marvin Gaye and Otis Redding…and his band, Blackwater Surprise, adds punch to his grainy, impassioned vocals…Singer storytellers like Bradley are rare, so take the plunge into the Blackwater and enjoy the rewards…” Ben Hunter – Swing Magazine New York City

“This is just something that’s so obvious, so natural and effortless,” says Andrew. “Robert’s vision and ours was perfect blend. We spent hours having fun jamming until we found our sound.”

“The combination of these musicians achieves a high energy chemistry that may remind you of an edgy Muddy Waters singing from the gut as he leads the Black Crowes…. Live, Robert Bradley’s Blackwater Surprise is nearly Pentecostal, giving listeners the unnerving feeling that these guys may just ‘lose it’. But they don’t. In person and on record, RBBs may sometimes seem like a reckless jet plane, but they always have at least one hand on the controls.” CMJ Jackpot

Bradley exudes, “they’re so young, they could be my kids,” he says with a laugh. “But they’re from Motown, I’m from Motown; we mix it up together and try to kind of merge this American melting pot situation. It’s happening!”

The most recent addition to the band is keyboard player Tim Diaz, who also is a respected area singer-songwriter and an award-winning guitarist. Coming from a musical family, Tim honed his keyboard skills in church and has since played in area bands as well as being a sought after studio musician.

Touring since the album’s release this past fall, the band started off with a bang as one of the highlight performances at Gavin’s AAA Radio Convention in Boulder, Colorado. It was so well received they soon achieved the No. 1 most added record at the format for two weeks with such noted stations as KFOG, WMMM, WBOS, WRLT and WTTS.

Robert Bradley’s Blackwater Surprise has found a loyal following on the road, headlining throughout the Midwest, Colorado and the Northwest as well as touring with such diverse artists as The Dave Matthews Band, Big Head Todd & The Monsters, Maceo Parker, The Subdudes, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Leftover Salmon, Cowboy Mouth, Widespread Panic and Chris Duarte, among others.

“Bradley’s improv explodes into a streak of ecstatic, staccato screams. The set ends with a bam, and the kids go nuts. They know they’ve seen something really, really special.” Brian McCollum – Detroit Free Press

The band has also garnered the support of MTV’s new upstart M2, with No.1 airplay of “California” for two weeks, hitting the top 10 for three months. This led to an appearance on MTV’s “Oddville U.S.A.” and the music video airing on MTV itself. National Public Radio has also been supportive, with the band appearing on Acoustic Cafe and E-Town with plans for Mountain Stage and World Cafe. They also have “Trouble Brother” featured in the Harrison Ford/Brad Pitt movie, The Devil’s Own.

“I would pay good money just to hear Bradley sing a laundry list a cappella…Bradley possesses one of those voices that defy genres and invoke the universal urge toward song…” Steve Almond -New Times – Miami, FL

Strumming his guitar in coffee houses and playing piano in Baptist churches from Detroit to California (experiences documented in the poignant song “California”), Bradley’s creativity has inspired songs of political, social and economic problems in his life (“Governor” and “Trouble Brother”) and celebrations of love (“For The Night” and “After Your Love”). With the additional songwriting skills and musicianship of Andrew, Michael and Jeffrey, the music runs the gamut from gritty, funky blues (“Bellybone”) to string-sweetened Motown swing (“Once Upon A Time” and “Comin’ Down”) to molten funk (“Shake It Off”), and a raw live rock sound (“Burn”).

It’s an assemblage of music that can only be made from a special kind of collaboration. That’s what’s happening with this quintet. Robert Bradley’s Blackwater Surprise is more than that. It’s a revelation.