Andrew Cyrille

American avant-garde jazz drummer

Andrew Cyrille
photo by Shawn Brackbill
photo by Shawn Brackbill
Background information
Birth nameAndrew Charles Cyrille
Born (1939-11-10) November 10, 1939 (age 84)
OriginBrooklyn, New York, U.S.
GenresJazz, avant-garde jazz, post-bop
Occupation(s)Musician, bandleader
Instrument(s)Drums
Musical artist
Andrew Cyrille

Andrew Charles Cyrille (born November 10, 1939)[1] is an American avant-garde jazz drummer. Throughout his career, he has performed both as a leader and a sideman in the bands of Walt Dickerson and Cecil Taylor, among others. AllMusic biographer Chris Kelsey wrote: "Few free-jazz drummers play with a tenth of Cyrille's grace and authority. His energy is unflagging, his power absolute, tempered only by an ever-present sense of propriety."[2]

Life and career

Cyrille was born in Brooklyn, New York, United States,[3] into a Haitian family.[4][5] 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.[6] His first drum teachers were fellow Brooklyn-based drummers Willie Jones and Lenny McBrowne;[7] through them, Cyrille met Max Roach.[7] Nonetheless, Cyrille became a disciple of Philly Joe Jones.[4][7]

His first professional engagement was as an accompanist of singer Nellie Lutcher,[3] and he had an early recording session with Coleman Hawkins.[8] Trumpeter Ted Curson introduced him to pianist Cecil Taylor when Cyrille was 18.[8]

He joined the Cecil Taylor unit in 1965, and worked with Taylor over a period of 15 years.[3] He later formed a musical partnership with Milford Graves, and the two recorded a drum duet album in 1974.[9] In addition to recording as a bandleader, he has recorded and/or performed with musicians including David Murray, Irène Schweizer, Marilyn Crispell, Carla Bley, Butch Morris and Reggie Workman.[10][11] Cyrille was a member of the group, Trio 3, with Oliver Lake and Reggie Workman.[12]

Discography

As leader or co-leader

With Trio 3

As sideman

With Muhal Richard Abrams

With Ahmed Abdul-Malik

With Charles Brackeen

  • Attainment (Silkheart, 1988) – recorded in 1987
  • Worshippers Come Nigh (Silkheart, 1988) – recorded in 1987

With John Carter

  • 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 Walt Dickerson

With David Haney

  • Clandestine (CIMP, 2008)
  • Conspiracy A Go Go (CIMP, 2008)
  • Siege of Misrata (CIMP, 2018)

With Leroy Jenkins

With Peter Kowald

  • Duos: Europa-America-Japan (FMP, 1991) one track
  • Duos 2: Europa-America-Japan (FMP, 2003) one track

With Oliver Lake

  • Otherside (Gramavision, 1988)
  • Edge-ing (Black Saint, 1993)

With Grachan Moncur III

  • New Africa (BYG Actuel, 1969)
  • Exploration (Capri, 2004)

With David Murray

With Horace Tapscott

With Cecil Taylor

With Mal Waldron

  • Birthday Concert: Antwerp 1997 (Bootleg / Unauthorized, 1997)
  • Soul Eyes (BMG, 1997)
  • Live at North Sea Jazz Festival, The Hague (Bootleg / Unauthorized, 2001)

With others

References

  1. ^ Feather, Leonard; Gitler, Ira (1999). "Cyrille, Andrew Charles". The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 161.
  2. ^ Kelsey, Chris. "Andrew Cyrille: Biography". AllMusic.com. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Who's Who of Jazz (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 110. ISBN 0-85112-580-8.
  4. ^ a b Patmos, Michael (February 1, 2014). "Andrew Cyrille: Drum Dialogue" (PDF). Modern Drummer: 54–59. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 27, 2015. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  5. ^ Chinen, Nate (October 17, 2016). "Andrew Cyrille's Late-Career Renaissance". New York Times. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  6. ^ Bob Young and Al Stankus (1992). Jazz Cooks. Stewart Tabori and Chang. pp. 92–93. ISBN 1-55670-192-6.
  7. ^ a b c Fragman, Dominic (April 26, 2019). "Andrew Cyrille: Art Science, Part 1". Jazz Times. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  8. ^ a b Case, Brian (October 4, 1975), "Make like a chimp (or choose your own alternative)", NME, pp. 28–29
  9. ^ Olewnick, Brian. "Andrew Cyrille / Milford Graves: Dialogue of the Drums". AllMusic. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  10. ^ "Andrew Cyrille: Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  11. ^ "Andrew Cyrille". All About Jazz. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  12. ^ "Encounter - Trio 3 | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved July 26, 2021.

External links

  • Bill McHenry Quartet: Live At The Village Vanguard, Recent concert
  • Andrew Cyrille at Answers.Com
  • Audio Recordings of WCUW Jazz Festivals – Jazz History Database
  • The FMP releases
  • Portrait of Andrew Cyrille by Dominik Huber / dominikphoto.com
  • Video with Stefan Roloff
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Andrew Cyrille
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Trio 3
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