Cynthia Sayer's Hot Jazz Banjo Show at Birdland

Award-winning instrumentalist/vocalist/bandleader Cynthia Sayer is acclaimed by musicians, critics, and fans alike as one of the top 4-string jazz banjoists in the world today. Her eclectic, swing-based shows embody the rarely heard range and versatility of the 4-string banjo in the hands of a master, celebrating historic jazz banjo stars, Vaudeville, American Songbook favorites, virtuoso classics, fun anecdotes, and more.

Sayer first rose to international prominence as a founding member of Woody Allen's New Orleans Jazz Band, all the while exploring her wider musical interests and playing with jazz, popular & roots artists such as Bucky Pizzarelli, Dick Hyman, Wynton Marsalis, Andy Statman, Wycliffe Gordon, Scott Robinson, Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox, Marvin Hamlisch, John McEuen (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) ), Charlie Giordano (with Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band), and many others....

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Award-winning instrumentalist/vocalist/bandleader Cynthia Sayer is acclaimed by musicians, critics, and fans alike as one of the top 4-string jazz banjoists in the world today. Her eclectic, swing-based shows embody the rarely heard range and versatility of the 4-string banjo in the hands of a master, celebrating historic jazz banjo stars, Vaudeville, American Songbook favorites, virtuoso classics, fun anecdotes, and more.

Sayer first rose to international prominence as a founding member of Woody Allen's New Orleans Jazz Band, all the while exploring her wider musical interests and playing with jazz, popular & roots artists such as Bucky Pizzarelli, Dick Hyman, Wynton Marsalis, Andy Statman, Wycliffe Gordon, Scott Robinson, Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox, Marvin Hamlisch, John McEuen (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) ), Charlie Giordano (with Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band), and many others.

Featuring Cynthia Sayer’s Joyride Quartet

“Cynthia Sayer is a rarity; a woman who plays banjo with drive and virtuosity.”
—THE NEW YORK TIMES

“The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest 2017’s best moments [include] Cynthia Sayer and her Joyride Quartet.”
—OFFBEAT MAGAZINE

"Notable women in jazz have stood out as singers and sometimes as pianists. Cynthia Sayer has made her mark in the jazz world in an almost unheard of way, on banjo."
—INTERNATIONAL MUSICIAN JOURNAL

"Cynthia Sayer is a talented jazz musician who sings and plays banjo with equal expertise. Her voice carries warmth and color ... and her rapid-fire style is phenomenal."
—JAZZ TIMES

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