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Tri-State Jazz Society Presents...
Cynthia Sayer and her Sparks Fly Quartet - August 17, 2014

PHILADELPHIA - Cynthia Sayer and her Sparks Fly Quartet will play for Tri-State Jazz Society on Sunday, August 17, 2014 from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m. This concert will be at the Haddonfield United Methodist Church, 29 Warwick Road, Haddonfield, NJ 08033. “[Cynthia Sayer] takes us into places where you’d never expect the banjo to be admitted and makes herself completely at home.”~ Dick Hyman. Half-price admission is $10, available for first-time attendees and members; general admission is $20. High school and college students with IDs and children accompanied by a paying adult are free. Pay at the door; there are no advance sales or reservations. The church is about 15 minutes from central Philadelphia via the Ben Franklin Bridge. There's free parking. For information call (856) 720-0232 or visit: www.tristatejazz.org.

Cynthia Sayer and her Sparks Fly Quartet

Cynthia Sayer - Banjo, Vocals, Leader
Adrian Cunningham - Clarinet, Sax
Mike Weatherly - Bass, Vocals
Larry Eagle - Drums

Soulful, edgy and both contemporary and classic, Cynthia Sayer breaks all the banjo player stereotypes as she single-handedly brings the 4-string banjo to the forefront of early jazz. Celebrated as the top 4-string jazz banjoist in the world today, and praised for her “drive and virtuosity” by The New York Times, Cynthia is a founding member of Woody Allen's New Orleans Jazz Band with whom she played and toured for over 10 years. Her solo career has taken her well beyond these New Orleans roots as a dynamic performer, instrumentalist and vocalist, and whose eclectic, swing-based shows embody the rarely heard range and versatility of the 4-string banjo. 

"Jazz just doesn't sound the way it used to. Cynthia is out to reclaim the banjo's place in the genre."-- NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO, “Soundcheck”

"Breaking the mold is New Jersey-born Cynthia Sayer who plays hot, swinging jazz on the plectrum banjo and performed with Woody Allen's band."-- PBS ARTS

You can hear Cynthia Sayer and her Sparks Fly Quartet here:

"I Love Paris": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC_JxM3ZMhY 

"Goody Goody": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD4i60lFTI4

At Tri-State Jazz Society in 2010: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQMXI3einIc

You can visit her website at: http://cynthiasayer.com

Haddonfield United Methodist Church

Tri-State Jazz Society's New Jersey concerts are held in the Haddonfield United Methodist Church, located near the center of town, just south of Kings Highway on Warwick Road. The concerts are in Fellowship Hall, a large performance space with good acoustics and an excellent piano. It is wheelchair accessible, there is a free parking lot and the church is two blocks from the PATCO station. Complimentary refreshments are provided at intermission.

Background

Cynthia Sayer has played with many leading jazz and popular artists including Bucky Pizzarelli, Dick Hyman, Les Paul, Marian McPartland, Wynton Marsalis, Marvin Hamlisch, Kenny Davern, John McEuen (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), Charlie Giordano (Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band), Bill Cosby and many others. Recent press includes being featured in Downbeat Magazine and being a guest on the popular NPR show “Piano Jazz” as well as the national TV & radio show “Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour.”

Cynthia has accumulated numerous awards and honors throughout her career, including induction into the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame. She has performed at the White House, played with The New York Philharmonic, appeared at major venues worldwide including New York City’s Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, was the Official Banjoist for the New York Yankees, and is the topic of a Trivial Pursuit game question! Cynthia was also a subject of the recent PBS TV documentary, “Give Me The Banjo.” Her soundtrack credits include several Woody Allen films on banjo, ukulele and piano -- that’s Cynthia playing uke in a yet-to-be-named 2014 Woody Allen release! Other recent accolades include being selected as one of the Top 10 Concerts in Pittsburgh in 2013. Her piano playing with Woody Allen’s jazz band is highlighted in the award-winning documentary film “Wild Man Blues,” and her new CD release, “JOYRIDE,” is receiving rave reviews. 

Reedsman Adrian Cunningham has established himself as one of Australia's finest jazz musicians. Based in NYC since 2008, he has appeared at some of NYC's finest clubs including Smalls, Birdland, 55 Bar, Fat Cat, the Apollo Theater, and Dizzy's at Lincoln Center. The Adrian Cunningham Quartet has released two studio albums, a live album and a DVD. Adrian has appeared at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland twice. You can visit him at http://adriancunningham.com.

Bassist Mike Weatherly has played every style from Big Band to Cajun, Western Swing and Jazz. No stranger to gospel, he is the bassist for the Lafayette Inspirational Ensemble and is regularly featured in the “Sounds of Praise” Gospel brunch series at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. He has played for former President Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela, and for the Pope’s 20th anniversary celebration. A regular with the Stan Rubin Big Band, he has also performed with The Ed Polcer Allstars, folk singer Pete Seeger, Banu Gibson and many others. Also known for his vocal skills, Mike has performed at the Vancouver Island Music festival, The Pete Seeger Clearwater Revival, the TriBeCa film festival and Iowa's Bix Beiderbecke Jazz Festival. He can be heard on the Gypsy Jazz Caravan’s "Pour les Zazous" and a number of other recordings.

Drummer and percussionist Larry Eagle keeps his musical portfolio diversified. He's a founding member of Bruce Springsteen's Sessions Band (which won a Grammy for traditional folk music) and played on R&B/Soul artist John Legend's Grammy-winning second album. He's performed on The Tonight Show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Good Morning America, PBS, the BBC and an ice-breaking Baltic Sea ferry out of Naantali, Finland.

CONTACT: Sally Cannon
(856) 720-0232
E-mail: publicity@tristatejazz.org
Web: www.tristatejazz.org

TRI-STATE JAZZ SOCIETY
P.O. Box 896
Mount Laurel, NJ 08054

Tri-State Jazz Society, formed in 1988, is dedicated to the preservation and live performance of traditional jazz including Dixieland, swing, ragtime, and boogie-woogie. All concerts are open to the public and feature leading professional small jazz bands and soloists. Monthly concerts are presented at venues throughout the Philadelphia area. The society is a non-profit educational corporation supported by its members.

Photos:
www.tristatejazz.org/pix/PR1-Sayer-byGSpector.jpg
Credit: G. Spector

www.tristatejazz.org/pix/PR2-Sayer-byGSpector.jpg
Credit: G Spector

www.tristatejazz.org/pix/PR3-Sayer2-byGSpector.jpg
Credit: G. Spector

Newsletter:
www.tristatejazz.org/strutter.pdf

Directions:
www.tristatejazz.org/Directions-Haddonfield.pdf

Concert Schedule:
www.tristatejazz.org/schedule.pdf

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