Cynthia Lee’s journey as a musician began when she listened to the R&B and Folk-Rock tunes of the 60’s and 70’s. Growing up in the Crenshaw district of south central LA, she had fun listening and dancing to “soul music” and the tunes of Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Cat Stevens, and Carly Simon. She took up guitar and dabbled with guitar over the years, until in her 40’s she started studying guitar with Robin Flowers in Oakland; and joined a stringband playing Celtic, Americana and Swing tunes.

A turning point came when her father approached her with a CD by Sarah Vaughan; saying “this is the real music” and she was immediately enraptured by her voice and style. Starting with some workshops as the California Coast Music Camp; she embarked on the road to learning to play bossa nova and jazz standards, and discovered that she also liked to sing at an open mic. Working with Ian Faquini, and Jeff Massanari, taking classes at the Jazz School in Berkeley and working with vocals coach, Maye Cavallaro, Jackie Ryan and Juan Zapeda, she has amassed a repertoire of jazz standards, bossa nova, blues and pop tunes of the 70’s, and performed gigs at Cafe Leila, Heroic Italian restaurant, Zocalo Coffeehouse, house concerts and the Pacifica Assisted Living Program.

She is now ready to take her performance craft to another level and build a community of followers to share her music and what she has learned over the years as a jazz vocalist and guitarist. She feels that music is a “demanding mistress” that is unrelenting, challenging and most of all, offers rewarding and incredible experiences. Performing jazz live with great musicians and an enthusiastic audience is the ultimate joy in her life. She wants to expose people to great tunes and knowledge she has learned over the years to develop inner balance and well being and performing as a musician.