An exciting jazz and blues singer who always gets a strong reaction from her audience, Cynthia Holiday is a veteran performer with an electric stage presence. Born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, Cynthia grew up around music. Her stepfather Calvin Hughes led his own big band and played trumpet with Count Basie, Frank Foster, Clark Terry, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis and Big Maybelle. Her sister, Valerie Holiday is the lead singer of the Philadelphia soul group, “The Three Degrees.”

Cynthia Holiday began her life on stage as a dancer, studying for years with the Garden State Ballet Company, touring with a modern dance company and teaching dance during college. But singing was her true love. Cynthia’s initial vocal training began at the Newark School of the Arts and the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York. She also studied privately with composer Duke Anderson, Kevin Mahogany, Marion Cowings and the late Rita DaCosta Turrentine.

Equally important to Cynthia was the experience she gained sitting in with musicians on the Newark/New York jazz scene like her dad, Calvin Hughes; the late bassist, Earl May; pianist, Harry Whittaker; the Bob Harris Orchestra and B3 organist, Radam Schwartz.

Her Music:
In 2008, Cynthia released her debut CD, All the Way (pictured at right). Produced by John Snyder and Radam Schwartz, the recording features the singer giving her own personal touch to standards and introducing some originals. In fact, she co-wrote two of the tunes with Schwartz, “I Like What I See” and “You’ve Got A Job To Do.”

When asked to pick out a few favorite selections from the CD, Cynthia says, “‘My Little Rainbow’ is a lovely tune and one of two songs, along with ‘I Like What I See,’ that I recorded with the great pianist Cedar Walton including bassist, David Williams and drummer, Joe Farnsworth.

Some of Ms. Holiday’s highlight performances include: Newark Symphony Hall Jazz Marathon, Baltimore Jazz Festival, Jazzmobile Summer Concert Series, Riverside Theatre Festival of The Arts, Birdland Jazz Club with John Hicks, Harlem Jazz Tour and Jersey Jazz by the Lake.

More information about Cynthia Holiday.

Cynthia Holiday will be part of the Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz, coming up July 17th-19th, 2009. Now in its thirteenth year The Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz has grown to be the largest FREE jazz event in New England, attracting a record 55,000 plus fans last July. During the past several years, the attendance has averaged over 45,000!

More Information about the festival.

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