Bradley Joseph - Musical Style and Composition

Musical Style and Composition

Joseph believes that "music allows a person to express their deepest thoughts, thoughts that cannot be expressed with just words." Debbage comments, "One strength of Bradley Joseph as an artist has been his keen ability to write inspiring music with appropriately titled songs that express that thought non-verbally". In an interview with Indie Journal, Joseph said that when writing music he prefers to concentrate on the melody first, stating, "Basically, I write from a two-person standpoint. First, I let the song take hold and I put down the idea as a raw emotional statement. Then I let it breathe and come back, approaching from more of an objective point of view. This allows me to rediscover the true meaning I intended in the beginning, shedding new light on how I can best represent that to the listener." He explained to Janus that, "Through instrumental music, I’m allowed to come up with musical ideas that allow the listener to create their own impression of my song. If you add lyrics about a girl in the song, the listener doesn’t have a choice of what the song is about, it’s told to them. My musical writings allow me to express anything. It’s easier for me to tell a story of something I’ve encountered this way then to verbalize it. And my feelings are explored more in my compositions compared to what I could ever say in a few sentences."

Joseph's musical style and direction have varied over time, having released more than two hundred original compositions and arrangements since 1994. "When I write it, it just kind of moves, because where I am in life is different", Joseph said. "So as I get older, it kind of changes." His recordings can offer full orchestrations such as in Hear the Masses, or Rapture that combines smooth jazz with contemporary instrumental themes. A review of Rapture from New Age Voice states Joseph "paints romantic pictures in sound with voices and instruments that escalate from quiet, intimate passages to big, energetic movements". "The arrangements are structured so that the trumpet can lead a line out on 'Be Still' signaling an introspective sort of mood; yet the strings swell on 'The Passage' engulfing the listener in an ocean of sound." "Even cuts that start quiet, such as 'Healing the Hollow Man' or 'Blue Rock Road' ebb and flow between quiet moments and crescendos."

In contrast, later albums such as Solo Journey and The Journey Continues are considered to be "stripped back and basic" by Debbage, with the latter featuring "Joseph and his piano with no additional clutter". "There is color in the songs via their understated melodies." As examples, Debbage describes Joseph as using a chord progression that translates into a strolling rhythm in the song "The Road Ahead". Solo Piano Publications contributor, Kathy Parsons, writes, "...'The Long, Last Mile' starts out with a bittersweet melody, and then builds in intensity and complexity with cello, winds, and ethereal sounds intertwining around the piano. Then it breaks off, and the opening melody returns."