Cynthia Holiday sings "Walk with me"

House of jazz lovers. Her stepfather, Calvin Hughes, played the trumpet with Frank Foster, Clark Terry, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, toured with Big Maybelle and was a big band leader. Cynthia was always surrounded by musicians and was able to learn what life was like on the road and was coached on how to succeed in the business. As a young person Cynthia would accompany her father to gigs and was quite impressed with many vocalists in the band including Regina Belle, before she crossed over to pop music.

Her family may have planted the seed to sing, but it was her dancing that initially sealed her desire to perform in front of an audience. Cynthia studied and performed with the Garden State Ballet Company in Newark, NJ from elementary school through high school. In her college years she performed with the Morse Donaldson Modern Dance Company and earned her college tuition by teaching dance.

The Newark School for the Arts was the beginning for Holiday’s vocal training and it was also the alma mater for many famous artists. She later met the late jazz composer, Duke Anderson with whom she continued her vocal studies and piano as well. Anderson was so impressed that he introduced her to Bob Harris who hired her to song with the Bob Harris Orchestra in 1990. Holiday’s recent jazz vocal coaches include Kevin Mahogany, Marion Cowings, Myrna Lake, Radam Schwartz and the late, Rita DaCosta Turrentine.

Partial list of performances…
*Featured vocalist at Birdland Jazz Club with John Hicks, Javon Jackson, Louis Nash and Peter Washington
* 2004 Harlem Jazz Tour featuring Gloria Lynn and the Joe Cuba Band
* Cassandra Wilson, Jon Lucien, Alex Bugnon at Jersey Jazz By The Lake Concert
* Sheet Music Society of New York Tribute to Duke Ellington
* 2007 Newark Symphony Hall Jazz Marathon

Evidence that Holiday is READY to be considered among the up-and-coming jazz singers…

Carl Griffin, former President, N-Coded Music - “Cynthia Holiday has the right look and a competitive instrument.”

Matt Rogers, NY Amsterdam News - “Singer Cynthia Holiday is a woman who can truly put on a show.”

Kevin Mahogany, jazz singer, educator - “Ms. Holiday has fantastic stage presence and it’s time for her music to be heard.”

Sheila Anderson, host/producer of Late Night Jazz on WBGO-88.3 FM penned the liner notes for Holiday’s debut recording “Cynthia Holiday…All The Way.” It will appeal to people who appreciate jazz and blues. The recording is a combination of jazz standards, blues songs and original material of which she collaborated with organist, Radam Schwartz. You will find blues humor, melancholy and joy interchanged with love songs on piano and organ arrangements. Featured on the CD are Radam Schwartz and the Cedar Walton trio with David Williams, bass and Joe Farnsworth on drums.
http://www.cynthiaholidaymusic.com/ch_bio.pdf