Cindy Bradley

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 trumpet as a schoolgirl and went on to earn degrees in jazz studies at Ithaca College in New York state and in jazz trumpet performance at the New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts.^[1]

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.^[2] Unscripted itself topped the Billboard Jazz Albums chart for two weeks.^[3]

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.^[1] She is a longtime vegan and animal rights advocate.

Bradley's sixth solo album, The Little Things, was released in May 2019 and her seventh, Promise, in July 2023.

• 2009 Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival Debut Artist of the Year
• 2010 American Smooth Jazz Awards Best New Artist
• 2010 Smooth Jazz News Debut Artist of the Year
• 2011 Oasis Contemporary Jazz Awards New Artist of the Year
• 2011 Oasis Contemporary Jazz Awards Brass Player of the Year
• 2011 Jazziz magazine's Critics' Choice of the Year for Unscripted