While starting out as a jazz performer and writer, having penned music performed and recorded by the One O’Clock Band at the University of North Texas and the University of Northern Colorado, his output over the last 20 years has concentrated mainly on classical chamber music with a few excursions into larger ensembles. About his Fantasy for euphonium and orchestra, Jerry Young writes, "Every serious euphonium player should find this piece and study it . . . no audience exists that would not fall in love with this work" (International Tuba Euphonium Journal, 2008). Works available on CD include Mpingo for sopranino saxophone and prerecorded media, Conversation for trombone and timpani, Fantasy for euphonium and orchestra, and Five Miniatures for tenor saxophone, trombone, and piano. In 2016 he received a Fellowship Grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts in music composition and in 2017 was awarded the Commisioned Composer of the Year from the Alabama Music Teachers Association.
Dr. Bristol is an active and versatile trombonist performing in a variety of classical, commercial, and jazz settings. He is a founding member and has performed numerous recitals with the trombone quartet, Quatuor du Sud and also with the Alabama Tuba/Euphonium Quartet; concerts with Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Four Tops, Temptations, O'Jays, Shirley Jones, Mary Wilson and with many other commercial and jazz artists; and on over 140 musical theater performances at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. He can be heard on the recording, Got the Spirit by the New South Jazz Orchestra. Dr. Bristol is also a regular performer with the Southeast Trombone Symposium Professors Choir since 2011.
He earned the Doctor of Arts in Theory and Composition from the University of Northern Colorado with a secondary emphasis in Jazz Pedagogy, M.M. in Trombone Performance from Georgia State University, and B.M. in Jazz from the University of Tennessee.
UNC Jazz Press, TAP Music, Cimarron Music Press, Tuba-Euphonium Press, ITA Press, and Warwick Music publish his works.
