Baltimore Jazz Hero
Maryland
The Jazz Journalist Association is proud to pronounce tap-dancer, vocalist and songwriter Alexandria “Brinae Ali” Bradley as the 2025 Baltimore Jazz Hero. Born and raised in Flint, Michigan, Ali is an interdisciplinary artist who believes in using the power of the arts to transform the human spirit.
In an interview with Chamber Music America Ali recalled, “While I was in college, I was taking a political science class, and I felt like I needed an outlet to process all the information that I was learning about crime and the impact that the prison system has on people of color and those who are impoverished. I made a pledge to myself that I would make sure to use my art as a platform to speak about the injustices of our society while also upholding traditions and progressing forward through culture.” She has developed her own curricula through her company Destination 4Ever.
Early evidence of this type of commitment was the event Ali produced during the peak of the Flint Water Crisis back in March 2016, “Harlem For Flint.” She brought the jazz, theater, tap dance and visual artist communities together, forging partnerships among the National Black Theater, Revive Music, Harlem Stage and a few local restaurants. With the performing artists donating their time and talents, the event raised $10,000 to help support families impacted by the water crisis.
In Baltimore, Ali has continued her community involvement, working with organizations such as Fayette Street Outreach’s two week summer program Navigating Circles, the Seed School’s after-school programming, the Eubie Blake Cultural Center’s dance and musical programs and WombWork Productions. She is currently a lecturer at Johns Hopkins Peabody Conservatory, a member of the Baltimore Jazz Collective, the inaugural Performing Artist in Residence at Baltimore’s Creative Alliance and performance curator for Ethel’s Place – an exhibition and celebration of Baltimore native Ethel Ennis for Hopkins’ Billie Holiday Center for Liberation Arts and the Sheridan Libraries.
Ali has also received support from the National Dance Project Grant, Chamber Music America New Jazz Works, Ruby Artist and Art for Social Change for the “Baby Laurence Legacy Project.”
She calls that a “full-on production featuring music, dance, storytelling and breaking of the fourth wall in the form of an interdisciplinary play. The Baltimore Jazz Collective is a huge collaborator, and for most of the artists it’s a completely different process than they are used to since my approach to music comes through my body by way of tap dance and voice . . . which they help to reinforce and highlight . . . I try to help them understand that they are not background music. They are not accompanying me — instead, they play a role in the creation and democratic process of the music, which requires a deeper level of active listening.”
Most important to Ali “is to not only think about the next generation, but also to create pathways for them to live a sustainable life while also being excellent at their craft.” Brinae Ali’s all-around commitment to education, community and social justice, and her formidable skills and dedication to the art of jazz tap, earn her the JJA’s honors.
— Don Palmer
JJA Board Member
