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Cynthia Holiday
Cynthia Holiday, Jazz Song Stylist
About Me
An exciting singer who always gets a strong reaction from her audience, Cynthia Holiday is a
real crowd pleaser. Her heartfelt renditions of standards, blues and ballads are full of swing
and soul.
Her debut release, “Cynthia Holiday…All The Way” was initially teamed with music producer,
John Snyder and special guests, pianist Cedar Walton with bassist, David Williams and
drummer, Joe Farnsworth. The recording received airplay on national jazz radio and cable
television’s, Music Choice Singers and Swing channel. New York Trend On Line wrote
“Holiday’s style is confident and classy throughout the wide spectrum of selections that
include such familiar classics as “I Thought About You” and “More Today Than Yesterday.”
Cynthia Holiday grew up in Newark, NJ and developed a love for jazz from her stepfather,
Calvin Hughes, a popular trumpet player and bandleader who played with Count Basie, Frank
Foster, Clark Terry and Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis. After graduating from Montclair State College,
Cynthia’s talents extended to that of spokesperson for a major beverage corporation and
appeared in “Ebony” and “O” magazines as a “Beauty & Style” model. But, singing was always
her first love.
Since her debut release, Cynthia has been busy performing locally and internationally. Most
recently, she performed a 6-city tour throughout the Siberian region of Russia. Locally, she
sings in clubs and festivals including The Hartford Jazz Festival, Birdland Jazz & Supper Club
and Washington DC’s “Blues Alley.” Uptown, she is one of Harlems’s favorite singers
performing for major organizations like Jazzmobile and The Greater Harlem Chamber of
Commerce at historic jazz clubs like Showmans and The Lenox Lounge.
Sheila E. Anderson, Late Night Host, WBGO JAZZ 88.3 FM says…“Cynthia’s time has come
with this release, “Cynthia Holiday…All The Way.” She seeks to continue the tradition of jazz
women who sing the blues, a style that, in my observation, has become a lost art among
vocalists. I hear the humor of Helen Humes, the soul of Ernestine Anderson, the warm timber
of Mary Stallings and the storytelling of Marlena Shaw…but, make no mistake, what we hear
is pure Cynthia Holiday.”
My Jazz Story
I love jazz because it brings me great joy. I was first exposed to jazz by my step-father who was a trumpet player I met Cedar Walton during a recording session. The best show I ever attended was... The first jazz record I bought was My advice to new listeners... Or whatever else you have in mind.