Cynthia Layne’s video in which she sings her song, “We,” is simple yet elegant, just like the singer. Shot only in black and white, the video is stylish, yet it does not distract the viewer from the most important element of this production, that being Layne’s effortless, luxurious vocals. The gifted vocalist deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Anita Baker and Patti LaBelle.
Layne discusses the creation of the video, “We got together with Ross Simpson, who has his own video company. We told him that we wanted to do something simple and very clean, because the song (“We) is very simple. We decided to do it in black and white to keep it simple. We didn’t want a lot of action going on in it, since it is my first video. We wanted to concentrate on me as the artist. Ross came up with a storyboard that we liked, and we went with it. There is not so much going on visually, that it takes away from what you are hearing.”
Whether you are listening to Layne sing, “Kings and Queens,” “We,” or “Beautiful Soul,” you will be blown away by the quality of her vocals and wonder aloud where she has been all of your life. What will you surprise you even more, is when you learn that the Ohio native, who for many years now has called Indianapolis home, has never been formally instructed in music, nor does she have one of those stories about how she grew up singing in church.
“I always sang as a little girl, listened to all kinds of music and tried to emulate the phrasing and sounds of different vocalists. I considered taking some vocal training, but then some musicians told me that vocal training could end up changing my natural tone and talent. Sometimes you have to be careful with that. It (my voice) is all natural and all God given,” says Layne, while admitting that as a child her radio was seldom turned off.
On her newly released CD, Beautiful Soul, Layne once again hooked up with two talented cats and old friends, Rob Dixon and Reggie Bishop. The three artists have performed together, and collaborated on their songwriting for a number of years. Bishop and Dixon produced the album, take turns on the keyboards, and Dixon plays three different saxophone voices, tenor, soprano and alto.
Layne recalls her first meeting with Dixon, “I met Rob years ago while on vacation in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. While we were on a group vacation in Mexico, there was a hurricane, which prevented people from leaving the party that we were at. To help people relax and to pass the time, Rob brought out his saxophone. He started playing a standard, I started singing and we entertained the crowd during the hurricane. That was an incredible and wild way to meet somebody, which I will never forget.”
The two hooked up for a few gigs while Dixon was studying in New York City. Over the years, other opportunities opened up for them to perform together, before they settled into regular gigging.
About Dixon, Layne has this to say, “We work together really well and compliment each other with our songwriting. He is a terrific songwriter with great ears. We have gigged together forever. He is part of my band. He is a cool cat.”
You never know where a good musician is going to turn up and that was Layne’s experience when she met Reggie Bishop. “My drummer Reggie Phelps phoned me, and said that he was at a gig, where he had met this cat named Reggie Bishop. He told me that he was amazing and that I needed to come down there right then and hear him. I went down there, listened to him and told him that I was looking for someone to play in my band. I asked him if he was interested in doing some gigs. He was new in town and looking for work, so he said sure.”
“Reggie is extremely versatile, and as far as pop and R&B are concerned, he has his finger on the pulse of what is going on in today’s music. He was also formally trained in jazz. He loves to tinker with the new sounds, and he is real techno cat. I told him that in a previous life, he was probably a DJ. He wrote (on Beautiful Soul), “Will U Be There,” and “Two and One.” Both songs are more techno, disco cuts.
