Andrew Cyrille
Encyclopedia
Andrew Charles Cyrille (born November 10, 1939) is an avant-garde jazz
drummer
.
Cyrille was born in Brooklyn, New York into a family with a mother from Haiti
. He began studying science at St. John's University, but was already playing jazz in the evenings and switched his studies to the Juilliard School
.
His first professional engagement was as an accompanist of singer Nellie Lutcher
and he had an early recording session with Coleman Hawkins
. Trumpeter Ted Curson
introduced him to pianist Cecil Taylor
when Cyrille was 18.
He joined the Cecil Taylor
unit in 1964 and stayed for about 10 years and eventually performed drum duos with Milford Graves
. In addition to recording as a bandleader
, he has recorded and/or performed with musicians such as David Murray
, Irène Schweizer
, Marilyn Crispell
, Carla Bley
, Butch Morris
and Reggie Workman
among others.
With Carla Bley
With Marion Brown
With Dave Burrell
With John Carter
With Charlie Haden
With Jazz Composer's Orchestra
With Leroy Jenkins
With Oliver Lake
With David Murray
With Horace Tapscott
With Cecil Taylor
Avant-garde jazz
Avant-garde jazz is a style of music and improvisation that combines avant-garde art music and composition with jazz. Avant-jazz often sounds very similar to free jazz, but differs in that, despite its distinct departure from traditional harmony, it has a predetermined structure over which ...
drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
.
Cyrille was born in Brooklyn, New York into a family with a mother from Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
. He began studying science at St. John's University, but was already playing jazz in the evenings and switched his studies to the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
.
His first professional engagement was as an accompanist of singer Nellie Lutcher
Nellie Lutcher
Nellie Lutcher was an African-American R&B and jazz singer and pianist, who gained prominence in the late 1940s and early 1950s...
and he had an early recording session with Coleman Hawkins
Coleman Hawkins
Coleman Randolph Hawkins was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Hawkins was one of the first prominent jazz musicians on his instrument. As Joachim E. Berendt explained, "there were some tenor players before him, but the instrument was not an acknowledged jazz horn"...
. Trumpeter Ted Curson
Ted Curson
Theodore "Ted" Curson is a jazz trumpeter. He is perhaps best-known for recording and performing with Charles Mingus....
introduced him to pianist Cecil Taylor
Cecil Taylor
Cecil Percival Taylor is an American pianist and poet. Classically trained, Taylor is generally acknowledged as one of the pioneers of free jazz. His music is characterized by an extremely energetic, physical approach, producing complex improvised sounds, frequently involving tone clusters and...
when Cyrille was 18.
He joined the Cecil Taylor
Cecil Taylor
Cecil Percival Taylor is an American pianist and poet. Classically trained, Taylor is generally acknowledged as one of the pioneers of free jazz. His music is characterized by an extremely energetic, physical approach, producing complex improvised sounds, frequently involving tone clusters and...
unit in 1964 and stayed for about 10 years and eventually performed drum duos with Milford Graves
Milford Graves
Milford Graves is an American jazz drummer and percussionist, most noteworthy for his early avant-garde contributions in the early 1960s with Paul Bley and the New York Art Quartet...
. In addition to recording as a bandleader
Bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
, he has recorded and/or performed with musicians such as David Murray
David Murray (jazz musician)
David Murray is an American jazz musician. Murray plays mainly tenor saxophone and sometimes bass clarinet. He has recorded prolifically for many record labels since the mid-1970s.-Biography:...
, Irène Schweizer
Irène Schweizer
Irène Schweizer is a notable Swiss jazz and free improvising pianist. She was born in Schaffhausen, in 1941.She has performed and recorded numerous solo piano performances as well as performing as part of the Feminist Improvising Group, whose members include Lindsay Cooper, Maggie Nichols, Georgie...
, Marilyn Crispell
Marilyn Crispell
Marilyn Crispell is an American jazz pianist and composer.-Biography:Crispell studied classical piano and composition at the New England Conservatory of Music. She has been a resident of Woodstock, NY since 1977 when she came to study and teach at Karl Berger's Creative Music Studio...
, Carla Bley
Carla Bley
Carla Bley, née Borg, is an American jazz composer, pianist, organist and band leader. An important figure in the Free Jazz movement of the 1960s, she is perhaps best known for her jazz opera Escalator Over The Hill , as well as a book of compositions that have been performed by many other...
, Butch Morris
Butch Morris
Lawrence D. "Butch" Morris is an American jazz cornetist, composer and conductor.-Biography:Before his musical career, Morris served in Vietnam during the Vietnam War....
and Reggie Workman
Reggie Workman
Reginald "Reggie" Workman is an American avant-garde jazz and hard bop double bassist, recognized for his work with both John Coltrane and Art Blakey....
among others.
As leader
- What About? (BYG ActuelBYG ActuelBYG Actuel was a French record label specializing in free jazz. The label also released a small number of non-jazz recordings by artists such as Musica Elettronica Viva, Freedom and Gong.-History:...
, 1971) - Junction (Whynot RecordsWhynot Records-Discography:...
, 1976) - Metamusicians' StompMetamusicians' StompMetamusicians' Stomp is an album by American jazz drummer Andrew Cyrille recorded in 1978 for the Italian Black Saint label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4 stars stating "This intriguing set gives listeners an early glimpse of the great avant-garde tenor...
(Black Saint, 1978) - NubaNuba (album)Nuba is an album by American jazz drummer Andrew Cyrille, vocalist Jeanne Lee, and saxophonist Jimmy Lyons recorded in 1979 for the Italian Black Saint label.-Reception:...
(Black Saint, 1979) - Special PeopleSpecial People (album)Special People is an album by American jazz drummer Andrew Cyrille recorded in 1980 for the Italian Soul Note label.-Reception:The Allmusic review awarded the album 3 stars.-Track listing:# "A Girl Named Rainbow" - 10:10# "High Priest" - 7:48...
(Soul Note, 1980) - The NavigatorThe Navigator (album)The Navigator is an album by American jazz drummer Andrew Cyrille recorded in 1982 for the Italian Soul Note label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Ron Wynn awarded the album 4 stars stating "This this is an example of thoughtful, nicely played group improvisation".-Track listing:# "Through the...
(Soul Note, 1982) - Irène Schweizer/Andrew Cyrille (Intakt, 1988)
- Something in Return (Black Saint, 1991)
- My Friend Louis (DIW/Columbia, 1992)
- X Man (Soul Note, 1993) with James Newton, Anthony CoxAnthony Cox (musician)Anthony Cox is an American jazz bass player.Played with: Geri Allen, Dewey Redman, Dave Douglas, John Scofield, Pat Metheny, Gary Thomas, Marty Ehrlich, Ed Blackwell, Joe Lovano, Dave King, and others.Lives and plays in Minnesota....
) - Good to Go, with a Tribute to Bu (Soul Note) with James Newton, Lisle Atkinson
As sideman
With Billy BangBilly Bang
Billy Bang was an American free jazz violinist and composer.-Biography:...
- A Tribute to Stuff SmithA Tribute to Stuff SmithA Tribute to Stuff Smith is an album by the American jazz violinist Billy Bang recorded in 1992 featuring Sun Ra, John Ore and Andrew Cyrille and released on the Italian Soul Note label.-Reception:...
(Soul Note, 1992)
With Carla Bley
Carla Bley
Carla Bley, née Borg, is an American jazz composer, pianist, organist and band leader. An important figure in the Free Jazz movement of the 1960s, she is perhaps best known for her jazz opera Escalator Over The Hill , as well as a book of compositions that have been performed by many other...
- European Tour 1977European Tour 1977European Tour 1977 is an album by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley recorded in 1977 in Munich, Germany and released on the Watt/ECM label in 1978.-Reception:...
(ECM, 1978)
With Marion Brown
Marion Brown
Marion Brown was a jazz alto saxophonist and ethnomusicologist. He is most well known as a member of the 1960s avant-garde jazz scene in New York City, playing alongside musicians such as John Coltrane, Archie Shepp, and John Tchicai...
- Afternoon of a Georgia FaunAfternoon of a Georgia FaunAfternoon of a Georgia Faun is an album by American jazz saxophonist Marion Brown recorded in 1970 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:...
(ECM, 1970)
With Dave Burrell
Dave Burrell
Davis Burrell is an American jazz instrumentalist, most notably on the piano. He has worked for many jazz musicians including Archie Shepp, Pharoah Sanders, Marion Brown and David Murray.- Biography :...
- DaybreakDaybreak (Dave Burrell album)Daybreak is a studio album released by jazz pianist Dave Burrell. It was recorded in 1989 and released that same year by Gazell records. The album mainly features Burrell in duet with long-time jazz collaborator David Murray on reed instruments...
(Gazell, 1989) - ExpansionExpansion (album)Expansion is a live album released by jazz pianist Dave Burrell. It was recorded during a number of concerts in December 2003 and was released on June 8, 2004 by High Two....
(High Two, 2004)
With John Carter
John Carter (jazz musician)
John Wallace Carter was an American jazz clarinet, saxophone, and flute player.-Biography:Born in Fort Worth, Texas, he played with Ornette Coleman and Charles Moffett in the 1940s. From 1961, Carter was based mainly on the West Coast. There he met Bobby Bradford in 1965, with whom he...
- Castles of Ghana (Gramavision, 1985)
- Dance of the Love Ghosts (Gramavision, 1986)
- Fields (Gramavision, 1988)
- Comin' On (hat Art, 1988)
- Shadows on a Wall (Gramavision, 1989)
With Charlie Haden
Charlie Haden
Charles Edward Haden is an American jazz musician. He is a double bassist, probably best known for his long association with saxophonist Ornette Coleman...
- Liberation Music Orchestra (Impulse! RecordsImpulse! RecordsImpulse! Records was an American jazz record label, originally established in 1960 by producer Creed Taylor as a subsidiary of ABC-Paramount Records, based in New York City...
, 1969)
With Jazz Composer's Orchestra
Jazz Composer's Orchestra
Jazz Composer's Orchestra was an American jazz group founded in 1965, to further avant-garde jazz in New York. Carla Bley and Michael Mantler were important in its organization and style....
- The Jazz Composer's Orchestra (ECM Records, 1968)
With Leroy Jenkins
- The Legend of Ai GlatsonThe Legend of Ai GlatsonThe Legend of Ai Glatson is an album by American jazz violinist Leroy Jenkins recorded in 1978 for the Italian Black Saint label.-Reception:...
(Black Saint, 1978)
With Oliver Lake
Oliver Lake
Oliver Lake is an American jazz saxophonist, flutist, composer and poet. He is known mainly on alto saxophone but also performs on soprano saxophone and flute....
- Edge-ingEdge-ingEdge-ing is an album by American jazz saxophonist Oliver Lake recorded in 1993 for the Italian Black Saint label.-Reception:The Allmusic review awarded the album 4 stars.-Track listing:# "Edge-ing" - 9:08# "Scene One" - 8:42# "Shiffs" - 11:18...
(Black Saint, 1993)
With David Murray
- David Murray/James Newton QuintetDavid Murray/James Newton QuintetDavid Murray/James Newton Quintet is an album by David Murray and James Newton released on the Japanese DIW label. It was released in 1996 and features seven quintet performances by Murray and Newton with John Hicks, Fred Hopkins, Billy Hart and Andrew Cyrille.-Reception:The Allmusic review awarded...
(DIW RecordsDIW RecordsDIW Records is a Japanese record label. It is a subsidiary label of Disc Union and specializes in jazz and avant garde music. Kazunori Sugiyama was an executive producer for the label before starting Tzadik Records with John Zorn.-Discography:...
, 1991)
With Horace Tapscott
Horace Tapscott
Horace Tapscott was an American jazz pianist and composer. He formed the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra in 1961 and led the ensemble through the 1990s...
- The Dark Tree (hat Art, 1989)
With Cecil Taylor
- Unit StructuresUnit StructuresUnit Structures is a 1966 album by Cecil Taylor released on the Blue Note label. The Allmusic Review by Scott Yanow states "Taylor's high-energy atonalism fit in well with the free jazz of the period but he was actually leading the way rather than being part of a movement.....
(Blue NoteBlue noteIn jazz and blues, a blue note is a note sung or played at a slightly lower pitch than that of the major scale for expressive purposes. Typically the alteration is a semitone or less, but this varies among performers and genres. Country blues, in particular, features wide variations from the...
, 1966) - Conquistador!Conquistador!Conquistador! is a 1966 album by Cecil Taylor released on the Blue Note label. The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow states "During the two lengthy pieces, Lyons' passionate solos contrast with Dixon's quieter ruminations while the music in general is unremittingly intense...
(Blue Note, 1966) - Student StudiesStudent StudiesStudent Studies is a live album by Cecil Taylor recorded in November 1966 and released on the Japanese BYG label as an untitled 2LP set in 1973. It features a performance by Taylor with Jimmy Lyons, Alan Silva and Andrew Cyrille...
(BYGBYG ActuelBYG Actuel was a French record label specializing in free jazz. The label also released a small number of non-jazz recordings by artists such as Musica Elettronica Viva, Freedom and Gong.-History:...
, 1966) - The Great Concert of Cecil TaylorThe Great Concert of Cecil TaylorThe Great Concert of Cecil Taylor is a live album by Cecil Taylor recorded in St. Paul de Vence, Nice, on July 29, 1969, and released on the Prestige label in 1977 as a 3-LP set...
(1969) - Cecil Taylor Quartet in Europe (Jazz Connoisseur, 1969)
- AkisakilaAkisakilaAkisakila is a live album by Cecil Taylor recorded at Koseinenkin Dai-Hall, in Tokyo in May 1973 and originally released on the Japanese Trio label as a double LP. It features a performance by Taylor with Jimmy Lyons and Andrew Cyrille...
(Trio (Japan), 1973) - Spring of Two Blue J'sSpring of Two Blue J'sSpring of Two Blue J's is a live album by Cecil Taylor recorded at The Town Hall in New York City in November 1974 and originally released on Taylor's Unit Core label and rereleased on the Jazz View label...
(Unit Core, 1973) - Incarnation (FMP, 1999)