Born and raised in the once-thriving metropolis of Syracuse, NY, Cyd survived adolescence by studying classical guitar, all the while absorbing the music of Jimi Hendrix and Dave Brubeck, not to mention the sounds of the Big Band radio station her mother preferred. The classical guitar path led her to the West Coast where, for a couple of years, she majored in music at Stanford University before becoming distracted by a boyfriend who introduced her to the rich treasury of American roots music: Bluegrass, Jug Band, Country Blues, Vintage Country-Western, and eventually Swing Jazz, where she found a home, playing in many Swing and Western Swing Bands throughout the Northwest. Cyd has blended all of these sonic ingredients into her own unique brew of songwriting and guitar playing. She is an explorer of the unexpected--lyrically, harmonically, and melodically. Cyd has performed with many luminaries of the national acoustic music scene, including Laurie Lewis, Mary Flower, Rebecca Kilgore, and Matt Glaser. Although she has flown under the radar, preferring a day job to the demands of a full-time musical career, she is treasured by lovers of unpredictable artistry. She currently lives in Seattle and performs regularly in clubs, coffee houses, and concerts. “She takes a jazz/swing sensibility and adds dimensions that are right out of this planet to it. Think of one of the muses living on Venus and hearing swing music, what would she do with it, where would she take it? That is the essence of what Cyd Smith is as an artist.” Penny Nichols-founder of Summer/Winter Songs East/West
