Andrew Cyrille

Andrew Charles Cyrille (born November 10, 1939) 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.

Cyrille was born on November 10, 1939, in Brooklyn, New York 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, who in some performances such as Time Waits used Cyrille's drum kit.

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, eventually performing 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. Cyrille is currently a member of the group, Trio 3, with Oliver Lake and Reggie Workman.

As leader

• What About? (BYG Actuel, 1971)
• Dialog of the Drums (IPS) with Milford Graves
• Junction (Whynot, 1976)
• Metamusicians' Stomp (Black Saint, 1978)
• Nuba (Black Saint, 1979)
• Special People (Soul Note, 1980)
• The Navigator (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 Cox)
• Ode To The Living Tree (Evidence, 1997)
• Good to Go, with a Tribute to Bu (Soul Note) with James Newton, Lisle Atkinson
• Route de Frères (TUM, 2011)
• The Declaration Of Musical Independence (ECM, 2016)

As sideman

With Geri Allen

• The Printmakers (Minor Music, 1985)

With Ahmed Abdul-Malik

• The Music of Ahmed Abdul-Malik (New Jazz, 1961)
• Sounds of Africa (New Jazz, 1961)

With Billy Bang

• A Tribute to Stuff Smith (Soul Note, 1992)

With Carla Bley

• European Tour 1977 (ECM, 1978)

With Jean-Paul Bourelly

• Jungle Cowboy (JMT, 1987)

With Anthony Braxton

• Eight (+3) Tristano Compositions, 1989: For Warne Marsh (hatArt, 1989)

With Marion Brown

• Afternoon of a Georgia Faun (ECM, 1970)

With Dave Burrell

• Daybreak (Gazell, 1989)
• Expansion (High Two , 2004)

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

• This Is Walt Dickerson! (New Jazz, 1961)
• Relativity (New Jazz, 1962)
• To My Queen (New Jazz, 1962)
• Jazz Impressions of Lawrence of Arabia (Dauntless, 1963)
• Walt Dickerson Plays Unity (Audio Fidelity, 1964)
• Tell Us Only the Beautiful Things (Whynot, 1975)
• Peace (SteepleChase,1976)
• Life Rays (Soul Note, 1982)

With Charlie Haden

• Liberation Music Orchestra (Impulse, 1969)

With Coleman Hawkins

• The Hawk Relaxes (Moodsville, 1961)

With Jazz Composer's Orchestra

• The Jazz Composer's Orchestra (ECM, 1968)

With Leroy Jenkins

• The Legend of Ai Glatson (Black Saint, 1978)

With Oliver Lake

• Edge-ing (Black Saint, 1993)
• Live in Willisau (Dizim, 1997)
• Encounter (Passin' Thru, 2000)
• Open Ideas (Palmetto, 2002)

With David Murray

• David Murray/James Newton Quintet (DIW, 1991)

With Horace Tapscott

• The Dark Tree (hat Art, 1989)
• Aiee! The Phantom (Arabesque, 1996)

With Cecil Taylor

• Unit Structures (Blue Note, 1966)
• Conquistador! (Blue Note, 1966)
• Student Studies (BYG Actuel, 1966)
• The Great Concert of Cecil Taylor (1969)
• Cecil Taylor Quartet in Europe (Jazz Connoisseur, 1969)
• Akisakila (Trio (Japan), 1973)
• Spring of Two Blue J's (Unit Core, 1973)
• Incarnation (FMP, 1999)

With Bob Thiele Collective

• Sunrise Sunset (1990)