The career of American jazz drummer Andrew Cyrille stretches back further than the history of the ECM catalogue. His first album as a leader appeared on the BYG label in 1969, coincidentally the same year ECM was founded, however, he had already established himself as a sideman, recording with artists like Walt Dickerson, Cecil Taylor, and Ahmed Abdul-Malik in the early to mid-60s. At the time he entered Sound on Sound Studios in August 2019 to record The News, his third album for ECM, Cyrille was already a well-established figure in avant-garde jazz, a legacy artist whose contributions were long since cemented.
The lineup on The News is nearly identical to that of 2016’s The Declaration of Musical Independence, with one notable change: pianist David Virelles steps in for the late Richard Teitelbaum, who was in declining health at the time of the session and would pass away in 2020. Despite the personnel shift, the ensemble retains the exploratory and conversational spirit that defined the earlier recording. Nothing feels overly composed or premeditated. The music unfolds organically, built on mutual trust and the deep intuition of four exceptional musicians.
The group sets its tone immediately: opener “Mountain” establishes the free-flowing, self-paced atmosphere that permeates the record. The sound is warm and intimately captured. Despite the freedom the musicians enjoy, the music remains accessible and inviting.
“Mountain” is the first of three pieces penned by guitarist Bill Frisell and is, unsurprisingly, anchored by his delicate, expressive touch. I hoped to avoid dusting off tired metaphors, but it’s hard not to describe Frisell as painting with sound, each lick and phrase chosen and placed with the care of selecting just the right shade of orange for an autumnal canvas. Piano and bass provide a soft, supportive framework within which Frisell moves freely and intuitively. Cyrille, meanwhile, offers shimmering cymbal washes and carefully placed tom rolls, never stepping on the toes of the other musicians, yet always shaping the direction of the music. His leadership is felt through subtlety: he guides the ensemble with finely tuned dynamic control and a gentle push and pull of tempo. A perfect example comes in the latter half of “Leaving East of Java,” where Cyrille gradually accelerates the pulsing bass groove established by Ben Street, building toward a climax that never feels chaotic or uncontrolled. The band stays firmly on the rails, completely attuned to where the music wants to go.
The album’s more avant-garde turns, often linked to Cyrille’s own compositions, first surface on the title track, a piece originally released on Italy’s ICTUS label in 1978. Where that earlier iteration featured Cyrille in percussive isolation, this new version expands the sonic palette: synth pads hum in the background, providing a foundation for Street to alternate between arco and pizzicato bass lines, while Frisell contributes a range of textures drawn from the depths of his ever-creative mind. The result is a more atmospheric and emotionally charged piece, one that may rival the original in abstraction but benefits from the warmth and clarity of the present-day recording.
A personal highlight is “Baby.” I don’t mean to hyperbolize, however, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that Frisell’s two central melodic refrains are among the most beautiful and affecting passages of music I can recall. The band evokes the quiet magic of everyday moments: the warmth of coffee traveling from gut to fingertips, sunlight spilling through Sunday morning blinds, the weight of holding my sons at the end of their school day. It’s music that distills the beauty of ordinary life into something resonant and deeply lyrical. Simple and brilliant.
The final piece on the record, “With You in Mind,” opens with a spoken-word dedication from Cyrille himself, clearly addressed to a loved one. Virelles follows with elegant, balladic piano before being joined by Street’s supportive bass work. As the track unfolds, Frisell and Cyrille enter together, with Virelles shifting to synth to create a haunting, yet still beautiful timbre. The ensemble takes its time, never rushing, never forcing ideas, allowing the music to unfold naturally, following its own quiet and established logic as the record draws to a close.
Throughout The News, Cyrille’s playing remains a study in restraint and intentionality. He gives the music room to breathe, regularly choosing to support rather than lead, allowing each member of the quartet to articulate their own voice and ideas while gently guiding the overall direction. It’s a hallmark of his late-career artistry, and for anyone curious to explore this chapter of his work, The News is a highly recommended entry point. It’s a fantastic example of the 21st-century ECM sound.
The Spectral Report 
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