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Cynthia Sayer, the celebrated four-string banjo player and vocalist praised for her “drive and virtuosity” by the New York Times and more than a decade performing in Woody Allen's New Orleans jazz band, will release her first album in five years Joyride, on Jan 22.
The album features Charlie Giordano of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band on accordion as well as Mauro Battisti on bass, Larry Eagle (who performed with Springsteen's “Seeger Sessions Band”) on percussion and additional musicians contributing violin, guitar, tuba, trumpet, clarinet and more. The thirteen tracks on Joyride were produced and arranged by Sayer and include two originals as well as early jazz and country classics plus favorites from the Great American Songbook.
Inspiration for Joyride came from Sayer's unlikely 2011 introduction to Giordano at Brooklyn's Jalopy Theatre. “Larry Eagle introduced me to this fantastic accordion player, but I had no idea of his background at first,” Sayer said. “When he sat in with my band I immediately knew I wanted to record an album with him. The banjo-accordion sound is incredibly cool, and our styles struck me as a perfect fit.”
Cynthia Sayer makes at least on trip a year to the Tampa Bay area, in particular Sarasota where her parents live, to enjoy Florida’s winter weather and do some concerts. On Saturday, she will perform at the Glenridge Performing Arts Center in Sarasota at 8:00 p.m.
I spoke with Cynthia about her career in music, playing the banjo, her new CD and more on my radio show. Click here to listen to the podcast.
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