Andrew Cyrille


Andrew Charles Cyrille 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."

Life and career

Cyrille was born in Brooklyn, New York, United States, into a Haitian family. 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 drum teachers were fellow Brooklyn-based drummers Willie Jones and Lenny McBrowne; through them, Cyrille met Max Roach. Nonetheless, Cyrille became a disciple of Philly Joe Jones.
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 1965, and worked with Taylor over a period of 15 years. He later formed a musical partnership with Milford Graves, and the two recorded a drum duet album in 1974. 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. Cyrille was a member of the group Trio 3, with Oliver Lake and Reggie Workman.

Discography

As leader or co-leader

With Muhal Richard Abrams
  • Mama and Daddy
  • Blues Forever – recorded in 1981
  • Rejoicing with the Light
  • Colors in Thirty-Third – recorded in 1986
  • The Hearinga Suite
With Ahmed Abdul-Malik
  • The Music of Ahmed Abdul-Malik
  • Sounds of Africa
With Charles Brackeen
  • Attainment – recorded in 1987
  • Worshippers Come Nigh – recorded in 1987
With John Carter
  • Castles of Ghana
  • Dance of the Love Ghosts
  • Fields
  • Comin' On
  • Shadows on a Wall
With Walt Dickerson
  • This Is Walt Dickerson!
  • Relativity
  • To My Queen – recorded in 1962
  • Jazz Impressions of Lawrence of Arabia
  • Walt Dickerson Plays Unity
  • Tell Us Only the Beautiful Things
  • Peace
  • Life Rays
With David Haney
With Leroy Jenkins
  • The Legend of Ai Glatson
  • Space Minds, New Worlds, Survival of America
With Peter Kowald
  • Duos: Europa-America-Japan one track
  • Duos 2: Europa-America-Japan one track
With Oliver Lake
  • Otherside
  • Edge-ing
With Grachan Moncur III
  • New Africa
  • Exploration
With David Murray
  • 3D Family
  • David Murray/James Newton Quintet
  • Shakill's Warrior
  • Jazzosaurus Rex
  • Acoustic Octfunk
  • Saxmen
  • Sacred Ground
  • Like a Kiss that Never Ends
With Horace Tapscott
  • The Dark Tree
  • Aiee! The Phantom
With Cecil Taylor
  • Unit Structures
  • Conquistador! – recorded in 1966
  • Student Studies – recorded in 1966
  • The Great Concert of Cecil Taylor – live recorded in 1969. originally released as Nuits de la Fondation Maeght Vols. 1-3.
  • Cecil Taylor Quartet in Europe
  • Live in Stuttgart
  • Akisakila
  • Spring of Two Blue J's
  • Incarnation
  • Mixed to Unit Structures Revisited
  • The Complete, Legendary, Live Return Concert
With Mal Waldron
With others