Support Sydney's Debut Jazz Album with The Bobby Floyd Trio

Hi! My name is Sydney McSweeney and I am a vocalist from Columbus Ohio. After years of making music in this community through performance, teaching private lessons, recording on numerous musician’s projects, and booking various local shows and events...

I am FINALLY recording my debut Jazz album alongside the incomparable Bobby Floyd Trio!!! But... I need your help!

ABOUT ME & THE PROJECT

I am a classically trained mezzo soprano, having received my BA in music from Otterbein University.

Following graduation, things didn't go as planned.

After some years of having only a few classical gigs and mostly making my living via childcare, I began to realize this wasn’t the music filled, and creatively inspired life, my degree had once promised. So, I decided to do something about it.

Deep in my mid twenties lull, I muscled up the courage to sing Misty (the only jazz standard I knew) at the infamous Tuesday Night Jazz Jam Session at Park Street Tavern run by saxophonist Pete Mills.

Not only did I ask the band to play the tune in the wrong key, I quickly realized I had no idea what was happening on stage. It … was not good.

I seemed to have forgotten that jazz was a language. A language I was foreign to. Instead of continuing to be completely mortified and never singing in public again, I kept going to the Tuesday Jam still mortified and clueless. But, with encouragement from Pete and my peers, each week got a little better than the last. I slowly started to understand the language of jazz, and even got comfortable enough to start really speaking it, or.. I guess, singing it?

That Tuesday night jam session is where I fell into a loving relationship with jazz and I have not looked back since.

Seven years later, and many many Jazz performances since, I am finally recording my debut Jazz album! BUT what makes this album special, is I am recording it with THE Bobby Floyd Trio.

Yes, you read that right, THE BOBBY FLOYD TRIO!!!

In recent years with the help of Maestro Byron Stripling, I have been lucky enough to perform across the country alongside some of Jazz’s greatest talents. One of them being Grammy Nominated, Piano luminary, B3 Hammond Organ legend, and fellow Ohio native, Bobby Floyd. Bobby Floyd is known for his work with the Count Basie Orchestra, Ray Charles, Dr. John, and The Columbus Jazz Orchestra JUST to name a few!

Bobby and I have been arranging a collection of Jazz Standards with his trio. The Bobby Floyd Trio is comprised of Bobby as well as two other pillars of Columbus’ music scene, Derek Dicenzo and Reggie Jackson. These three have been making magic together for decades, having perfected their sound and style.

After years of making music with these guys, I thought they’d be the perfect collaborators for my debut album. As an ode to our crossed paths, we are capturing our time spent making music over the years through these arrangements.

This album celebrates mentorship, legacy, community, friendship and love through the theme of time. And we are beyond excited to share this with you!

With all that said, I am calling on our Columbus community!

Making a quality album with top tier musicians adds up fast.

I am launching a GoFundMe to support all of the expenses that come with creating an album.

These funds will cover the following expenses

Every dollar helps! If you can’t contribute financially, likes, shares, and follows are also extremely helpful!

Having been homegrown in this “big small town” I have learned that community pulls us through.

And for that, I am forever grateful for everyone’s support through the years.

Thank you for supporting local music!

With all the love in my heart,

Syd