Check out Cynthia Sayer on NPR's "Piano Jazz" show Here, and also the Voice Of America "Music Beat" interview Here
Cynthia Sayer, the internationally celebrated banjo player and vocalist praised for her "drive and virtuosity" by the New York Times and 10+ years performing in Woody Allen's New Orleans jazz band, has confirmed the release of JOYRIDE, her first album in five years. Fretboard Journal describes the album as "pushing the four-string banjo into new, uncharted territory." Downbeat Magazine says "Sayer's singing is as nuanced as her banjo playing, [which] makes Joyride sparkle with energy."
Inspiration for the groundbreaking project came from Sayer's unlikely 2011 introduction to featured accordionist Charlie Giordano, a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. "When I met Charlie," Sayer recalls, "our styles struck me as a perfect fit. The banjo-accordion sound is incredibly cool." Sayer's singular & striking arrangements show off the rest of her top-tier personnel. Tracks include two originals, jazz standards, tango, blues, roots, and favorites from the Great American Songbook.Videos