Reviews

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

"She's pushing the four-string banjo into new, uncharted territory."
— FRETBOARD JOURNAL

“Some of [the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest 2017’s] best moments...Cynthia Sayer and her Joyride Quartet was a fresh breeze.  Power banjo, very cool.”
— OFFBEAT MAGAZINE

"Sayer is not only one of the best banjo players around, she's also a sincere vocalist who effectively puts across songs."
— NEW YORK POST

"A dazzling evening, a capacity crowd... Nobody wanted it to end."
— GUARDIAN NEWS (England)

"Sayer repeatedly demonstrated her highly celebrated and long-standing mastery of the jazz banjo."
— BISTRO AWARDS

“She takes us into places where you’d never expect the banjo to be admitted and makes herself completely at home.”
— DICK HYMAN, NEA Jazz Master

"Sayer is considered to be among a small group at the top of the jazz banjo world."
— CHICAGO TRIBUNE

"Pioneering musician introduces hot jazz to China...The audience gushed about how much they enjoyed her show."
— GLOBAL TIMES (China)

"She can really play. It's nice to see somebody with such a fresh approach."
— MARIAN McPARTLAND

"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

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

"Her approach is to bring it alive in a fresh, modern way."
— THE DAILY TELEGRAPH (Australia)

"Cynthia is a knowledgeable and fantastic musician."
— WOODY ALLEN

"Nothing and nobody compares to Cynthia Sayer ... The concert hall went wild. The audience cheered her as a star."
— SÄCHSISCHE ZEITUNG (Germany)

"The American banjoist Cynthia Sayer was one of the great attractions of the festival."
— DE STEM (Holland)

"Cynthia Sayer almost made the applause meter explode ... Her swingy playing catches you from the start, and her sense of showmanship is present at every second."
— LA DÉPECHE (France)

"One of the best jazz banjo players in the world."
— THE GOLD COAST BULLETIN (Australia)

"And then she was there, the one everyone was waiting for ... the lady from America with unbelievable finger and speed mastery on the strings."
— NORDERSTEDTER ANZEIGER (Germany)

"Cynthia Sayer [is] the superstar of jazz banjo."
— LA BROYE (Switzerland )

"Cynthia Sayer bewitched the public."
— NORDERSTEDTER ZEITUNG (Germany)

"The audience loved the concert, gave them a standing ovation and stamped for an encore. Her music is always of the highest caliber..... The audience left smiling and raving. It was perfect."
— CHAUTAUQUA INSTITUTION (Marty Merkley, Director of Programming)

"Cynthia Sayer's performance was remarkable... The entire audience fell in love."
— ODESSA NEWS (Ukraine)

"The highest point of the festivals was the New Yorker Cynthia Sayer."
— GOTTINER TAGEBLATT (Germany)

“Banjo Bravo… A whirlwind of pure jazz joy.”
— SARASOTA OBSERVER

"One of the most respected banjoists in jazz ... a master entertainer."
— THE AMERICAN RAG

"One of the best musicians on the banjo."
— MELODY MAGAZINE (Czech Republic)

"An unbelievable inspiration."
— WESERKURIER (Germany)

"A true jazz-woman."
— LE BULLETIN DU HOT CLUB DE FRANCE (France)

"Cynthia has great tone and touch and a scorching solo style."
— FRETS MAGAZINE

"Sayer displays the creativity, diversity and originality that continues to define her as a unique musical identity."
— ALLFRETS MAGAZINE