Cynthia Layne (February 27, 1963 – January 18, 2015) was an American contemporary jazz vocalist. Layne described her music as "soothing to the soul...a mix of groove based R&B with strong jazz undertones."She performed on stages around the world singing in a multitude of styles. Layne went beyond genre to find something of herself in any music. Cynthia got her start hanging out in clubs and sitting in with local bands.