Cindy Bradley Talks

By: Keivu G. Knox

By: Giget Johnson From the moment Cindy Bradley answered the phone, I knew that I was speaking with a kindred spirit. She is friendly, humble, kind, and familiar. So many things about her life experiences are similar to mine. What resonated most with me is that her parents, like mine for me, are her best friends. Asked what woman has had the biggest impact upon her life and she knew that answer was her mother. “My Mom! I think she’s one of the kindest, most resilient women I’ve ever met. I’m not saying this because she’s my Mom. She’s my #1 fan, has always supported me, always stood behind me pursuing my dreams. She has just loved me through everything. I have two great parents; but as far as women, my mom would definitely be my hero. Cindy’s mother is not the only hero in their family. Cindy Bradley is a hero in her own right. A public-school instrumental music teacher of 19 years, she wears a cape, like so many other educators who help to develop young minds, even if she is modest about her own impact upon the lives of others. Not much gives you a dose of humility like being a teacher. Students, no matter the age, have a way of keeping us humble. [Having been a high school math teacher, I’ve been served my own share of temperance.] Cindy’s students do just that for her. The elementary aged (9 & 10 years old) band students have little to no idea that they are being taught by a jazz star. To them she is just Ms. Bradley, who nurtures them like any dedicated teacher would. She is not bothered at all by it. What’s important to Ms. Bradley is that her students have an appreciation for the art of music. “It connects us to culture.” She has no issues motivating her students. “Once they develop a Sep/Oct Let the music take you… SmoothJazz Magazine | 23

“It’s a male-dominated industry, so for a woman to be a part of it, to break into it, to be taken seriously, to be treated with respect, all of those things are an extra challenge. . . Sometimes you may be the best at what you do but you may not be treated as such.” Cindy Bradley little confidence, it ’s not difficult to tap into their full potential.” She also teaches as a clinician at formal jazz workshops. Nineteen years in the classroom develops character such that you rarely meet a stranger. Everyone is treated fairly and with respect. That is just how the interview went. She was kind, attentive and very down to earth. Everybody loves Ms. Bradley. [Even me!] Cindy Bradley’s discography, from the title of each CD, including the songs on each, to the cover art thereon, depicts an evolving of the artist. However, just as she evolved as a powerhouse jazz trumpeter, she also evolved in her womanhood. In a male-dominated jazz music industry, Cindy Bradley, like women in many other industries, overcame challenges related to being a woman. She was not hesitant to open up about it. “It’s a male-dominated industry, so for a woman to be a part of it, to break into it, to be taken seriously, to be treated with respect, all of those things are an extra challenge. . . . Sometimes you may be the best at what you do but you may not be treated as such.” “You may not be chosen for something you auditioned for.” “I think you have to really develop a thick skin, have full confidence in yourself and push through those challenges. But it ’s easier said than done.” “I have always been a pretty sensitive person and I’ve had my own challenges trying to climb up that ladder.” “When I moved to the New York City area, I would go to jam sessions and put my name on the list to sit in and they would skip over my name and not let me play.” “I’ve auditioned for tours, when I was a sideman, and been chosen based on the audition and then told a couple of days later “we changed our mind because the leader of the group said women don’t play hard enough; we’re going with someone else.” Cindy also struggled to get a re-

record deal for a very long time. She continued to work hard and grind for what she knew she was worthy of. When she finally landed a deal with Trippin ‘N’ Rhythm Records, after even they had turned her down before, she found a home where she could grow as an artist. They believed in her and invested in her when others would not. Her initial deal with them was a 5 CD deal. Full of gratitude for finding a good fit, she recently re-signed with them and considers Les Cutmore and Jeff Lunt to be family. A native of Buffalo, New York, Cindy picked up the trumpet in the fourth grade. A learned trumpeter with formal studies, she obtained her degree in Jazz Studies & Music Education from Ithaca College, and has her Masters in Jazz Trumpet Performance from the New England Conservatory, which is home to many jazz giants. She credits her teachers and other jazz greats, such as John McNeil, Bob Brookmeyer, Jerry Bergonzi, George Russell, Steve Lacey & others for influencing her musically. Ever the student, she also has a Masters in Edu- cational Leadership. [Guess who else has three degrees? You got it – ME! B.S., M.S., J.D.] Very few things impress me like a beautiful brain. I knew I’d like her when she called me Giget in a tone that you’d use with an old friend. Cindy Bradley has beauty, brains and a magnetic personality. You can hear her smile through the tone of her voice. Her music style is influenced by her deep studies of hard bop trumpet players, who were mostly men. Yet she has great admiration for the late Clora Bryant, who is noted as the only female trumpeter who played with Dizzy Gillespie. Asked how she developed her signature sound and Cindy attributed “who I listened to growing up, throughout my development, who I tried to emulate, and who I Sep/Oct Let the music take you… SmoothJazz Magazine | 25

studied from age 12 playing in Big Bands, in college with Hard Bop, those who I studied in depth, their influence.” Other things go into that Cindy Bradley signature sound such as breath control, use of vibrato, speed, and the quality of equipment, the depth of the mouthpiece. She prefers a heavy trumpet, as a heavier instrument tends to be more mellow. “ The way that you articulate notes. I can agonize over a phrase to get the phrase perfected on how it is articulated.” “ The trumpet is one of the most physical instruments to be able to play. There is a lot of daily exercise and maintenance that you have to do to be able to get your lips to vibrate and respond in the way that you need.” “If I take two days off from playing, I physically cannot play it on the third day.” “Some players joke that we’re small muscle athletes because it is that demanding.” Cindy follows a strict regimen – warm up, warm down, and she doesn’t play much at soundcheck, or her lips will start to swell. “You can’t play really loud or really hard for a certain amount of time or your lips won’t vibrate and won’t produce the sound. There’s a delicate balance of not overdoing it but also putting enough work into it so that the instrument works.” “Sometimes it ’s a real love-hate relationship that I have with the instrument. And I’m often jealous of people that play something else. But I do just love the sound of it. On a good day, I love it. 26| SmoothJazz Magazine Let the music take you… Sep/Oct

Cindy’s Discography is made of music exhibiting “exactly what I was thinking of and feeling when I made these CDs and named these projects and a lot of the song titles as well.” “Bloom”, her second CD, was released in 2009. “I had worked so hard to get a record deal. I contacted every jazz record label multiple times for years and was constantly told no and finally got signed. I got to work with a great producer. All the things I worked hard for were coming true. I was on Cloud 9.” Finally, she was blooming. “Unscripted”, which was released in 2011, is “one that I am extra proud of.” It was recorded during a time when she came to realize that there is NO SCRIPT IN LIFE. There are ups and downs and she was experiencing a very big down. “ Things were out of my control.” Her mother was diagnosed with Stage 3 kidney cancer during this time. “I was devastated. I thought I was going to lose her. She’s my best friend in the world; both of my parents are. She’s cancer-free to this day. She’s healthy. She’s amazing.” “It tells the story in the CD. Footprints. The Interludes. It was a therapeutic release from what I was going through.” “At that time I was working as a teacher, touring, writing music, producing the CD. I went completely unscripted. I wrote and played what I felt at the time.” [I understand her pain all too well having lost my Dad, one-half of my best friend pair in my parents, to cancer in 2010. I started writing a book about my Dad as my therapeutic release. I also started other books to clear my emotional baggage.] In 2013, she released “Bliss”. Life at the time was “exactly like it sounds.” She experienced multiple firsts – got married, bought her first house. Life continued to happen. Sep/Oct Let the music take you… SmoothJazz Magazine | 27

In 2017, she released “Natural” at a time in her life when she was very settled, exploring self, creativity, writing more. “It was a lot of fun to make; I worked with so many different producers.” In 2019, Cindy Bradley released “ The Little Things”. It was given the title at a time when she had learned to really appreciate the little things in life. An avid animal lover, one of her little dogs is on the back of the CD cover. After divorce from her first husband, she met the love of her life, her now husband, who is a full-time musician. She learned not to settle. “You can be happy by yourself or happy if you find the right person. I finally met the right person.” “I appreciate the little things, like being off together at the same time, watching Netflix, going out to dinner.” [As for me, I’m still on the search for the love of my life, as I didn’t get so lucky the second time around. But I’m happy, with myself, and by myself.] If you take a look at the cover of “ The Little Things” CD, you’ll see that Cindy has a custommade pink trumpet with a raised heartshaped bell. Her fa- vorite trumpet maker Andy Taylor of Taylor Trumpets in the U.K. allowed her to design this beauty. The raised bell is a nod to Dizzy Gillespie. That hot pink trumpet is not to be confused as one of “the little things” in her life. “No! It’s not a little thing. It’s a BIG THING!” I didn’t ask, but I am curious, about the cost. Whatever it is, it is worth every penny because you can hear joy exuding when she speaks of it. 28| SmoothJazz Magazine Let the music take you… Sep/Oct

It’s the vessel that Cindy uses to spread positivity and kindness through her music, which is beautiful and fulfilling, not just to her but also to her fans. You’re going to want to add the entire Cindy Bradley Discography to your music playlist. Witness her evolution through the music and the photo progression on the CD covers. Turn the playlist on and let it play, over and over and over again. You’ll understand why I’m so smitten. She’s six songs into her next project. We’re waiting in anticipation for its release. In the meantime, you may catch her on tour with her good friend and saxophonist Paula Atherton. Cindy Bradley is the poster child for the independent, hardworking, success-driven woman. She makes me proud. She’s a reminder to keep pushing for all that you’re working towards. Go listen to her CDs and let her motivate you too!