Cindy Bradley

Early life

Bradley was born in North Tonawanda in upstate New York. She already played piano, but picked up her first trumpet by accident at age nine because it was the only available instrument which she recognized in her teacher's list for school band classes. She began playing traditional jazz as a schoolgirl and went on to gain degrees in jazz studies at Ithaca College in New York state and in jazz trumpet performance at the New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts.

Career

Bradley released her debut album Just a Little Bit on her own label in 2007. In 2009, she signed with Les Cutmore's Trippin' N' Rhythm Records and recorded her second, Bloom, with Grammy Award-winning producer Michael Broening at his studio in Phoenix, Arizona. Bloom won instant critical acclaim and Bradley followed it in 2011 with Unscripted. The hit single from that album, "Massive Transit", co-written by Bradley and Broening, remained at No. 1 on the US Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs chart for six weeks. Unscripted itself topped the Billboard Jazz Albums chart for two weeks.

Often labelled as a smooth jazz artist – although some critics have found her difficult to categorize at all – Bradley cites her major influences in jazz as fellow-trumpet players Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan and Blue Mitchell. When she is not touring or playing at jazz festivals, she works as a public elementary school band teacher in New Jersey. Cindy is a longtime vegan and animal rights advocate.

Bradley's fifth solo album, Natural, was released in March 2017.

Awards

Discography

As leader

As sidewoman