Cindy Bradley and Alex Bugnon

Jazz greats Cindy Bradley and Alex Bugnon combine forces for an electric evening of contemporary jazz.

It’s been a decade since Cindy Bradley’s debut EP, Just a Little Bit, wowed music enthusiasts with her velvety trumpet tones and landed her a record deal with Trippin ‘N’ Rhythm Records. The creative partnership has led to the critically acclaimed albums Bloom, Unscripted, Bliss, and the soon-to-be-released Natural, which coincidentally drops on the date of her American Theatre appearance.

“I started playing the piano when I was six, but we had to choose a different instrument to be part of the band program. I forgot to bring my permission slip to class, so the teacher just had me randomly circle an instrument that I wanted to play. I picked the trumpet, which turned out to be a life and career defining fluke,” said Bradley, who has earned the title of New Artist of the Year and Brass Player of the Year by the Contemporary Jazz Awards and hit number one on Billboard’s Album Chart for Unscripted.

On the same program, internationally renowned jazz keyboardist Alex Bugnon brings his signature style to The American Theatre with a catalog of hits spanning his nearly 30-year career. Nephew of the great jazz trumpet player Donald Byrd, Bugnon’s first exposure to jazz was at the Montreux Jazz Festival in his hometown in Switzerland. He studied at the Paris Conservatory of Music as well as the Berklee School of Music and has played with some of the industry’s greats, including James Ingram, Patti Austin, Freddie Jackson, and more.

“We’re fortunate to have two fantastic musicians grace The American Theatre stage on the same evening,” said Hampton Arts Artistic Director Richard M. Parison, Jr. “While their sounds are unique, together they represent the very best in the jazz world.”