Jazz vocalist Cynthia Bane's hip, understated style and pure vocal tone appeal to a wide variety of jazz fans. Jazz singer Janet Planet proclaimed her, "a star whose voice defines swing, elegance, and taste."
Her debut album, "Clearly" (Stellar! Sound Productions) provides the listener with an intimate view of Cynthia as a versatile jazz artist. Teaming up with renowned pianist John Harmon, along with Andy Sachen (bass), and Mike Malone (drums), Cynthia skillfully delivers jazz standards, bebop vocalese tunes, and ballads with warmth and authenticity.
Cynthia, a professor of psychology at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, took an unconventional path to vocal jazz. Growing up in Iowa, she played the French horn throughout high school and at Luther College, where she played in the concert band while earning a bachelor's degree in psychology. She continued playing in community bands and high school pit orchestras while pursuing a Ph.D. in social psychology at Miami University of Ohio. During a chance stroll through a Pottery Barn, she heard recordings by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong playing in the background, and the experience sparked her interest in jazz. To begin her exploration of the genre, she searched through the jazz cd collection at the local public library and checked out the cd with the hippest looking cover: Hank Mobley's "No Room for Squares" (cover designed by legendary photographer and graphic designer, Reid Miles). She became a fan of Lee Morgan, Anita O'Day, Cannonball Adderley, Chet Baker, and Irene Kral.
Cynthia wanted to learn even more about jazz, preferably through experiential learning. She attended Tritone Jazz Fantasy camp in Door County, Wisconsin as a vocalist. At Tritone she met faculty members John Harmon (piano), Janet Planet (vocal), and Tom Washatka (saxophone), who collaborated with Cynthia on the "Clearly" album.
Cynthia performs locally in Northeastern Iowa with the Bluetone Jazz Collective.
