andrew cyrille quartet

ABOUT

Andrew Cyrille was born in Brooklyn, New York. As well as studying privately, he also attended Juilliard and Hartnett Schools of Music. He has performed with Jazz artists ranging from Coleman Hawkins, Illinois Jacquet and Mary Lou Williams to Kenny Dorham, Muhal Richard Abrams, John Carter, Mal Waldron and David Murray.

In 1964 he formed an association with pianist Cecily Taylor that lasted for 11 years. He played drums for many notable dancer-choreographers from the mid to late 1960’s.

Andrew Cyrille is currently a faculty member of the New School University in Manhattan. His sterling work has earned him a number of grants and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts and Meet the Composer. In 1999 he received a Guggenheim Fellowship for composition.

Starting in 1969, Cyrille began to organize the first of several percussion groups, including Dialogue of the Drums, Pieces of Time, and Weights and Measures. Some of the distinguished artists who played in those groups were Kenny Clarke, Milford Graves, Famoudou Don Moye, Michael Carvin and Obo Addy.

Starting in 1988 through the present time he has toured and performed with the renowned Russian percussionist Vladimir Tarasov.

Andrew Cyrille is a member of Trio 3 featuring Oliver Lake and Reggie Workman. He also leads a group called “Haitian Fascination” playing music inspired by the musical tradition of Haiti.

In 2016 he has gained attention by releasing an album with his Andrew Cyrille Quartet on ECM and a duo recording with saxophonist Bill Mc Henry on Sunnyside Music. He was the featured Artist in Residence at the 2017 Winter Jazz Festival in New York.