Andrew Cyrille

Andrew Cyrille, born in Brooklyn on November 10, 1939, studied with Philly Joe Jones in 1958 and then spent the first half of the 1960s studying in New York at Juilliard and the Hartnett School of Music. At the same time, he was performing with jazz artists ranging from Mary Lou Williams, Coleman Hawkins, and Illunois Jacquet to Kenny Dorham, Freddie Hubbard, Walt Dickerson, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk, among others. He also played with Nigerian drummer Babtunde Olatunji and worked with dancers. In 1964 he formed what would prove to be an eleven-year association with Cecil Taylor, a gig that brought him new acclaim and established him in the vanguard of jazz drumming.
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 these groups were
Kenny Clark, Milford Graves, Famoudou Don Moye, Michael Carvin and Obo Addy. Starting in 1988 through the present time, he has toured and performed here and abroad with the renown Russian percussionist, Vladimir Tarasov. In 1975,

Cyrille formed a band called Maono (feelings) featuring various instrumental voices
determined by his compositions. He is a member of Trio 3 featuring alto
saxophonist, Oliver Lake and bassist, Reggie Workman. Also from time to time,
he leads another group called Haitian Fascination, playing music inspired by the
musical tradition from Haiti. Within the past several years, he has been
collaborating and working with musicians such as saxophonist, Archie Shepp,
trombonist, Roswell Rudd, trumpeter, Dave Douglas, bassists, Henry Grimes and
William Parker, pianists Dave Burrell and Marilyn Crispell, and vibraphonist, Karl
Berger. He continues to record and perform with duo, trio, quartet, quintet and
big band formations.