Andrew Cyrille's title, Lebroba, is a neologism formed from the first syllables of Leland, Brooklyn, and Baltimore—the birthplaces of the three creative minds who come together on this album. All three artists made their ECM debuts decades ago: Andrew Cyrille (drums) played on Marion Brown's 'Afternoon of a Georgia Faun' in 1970, Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet) released his own masterpiece, 'Divine Love', in 1978, and Bill Frisell (guitar) played on Eberhard Weber's 'Fluid Rustle' in 1979.[1][2] These musicians have had a lasting impact on the scene. Although Frisell had already appeared on Cyrille's earlier ECM album, 'The Declaration of Musical Independence', Lebroba marks the first collaboration between him and trumpeter Smith.[5] As a generous bandleader, Cyrille gives his fellow musicians ample freedom. Each of the three contributes their own compositions, with Smith's 'Turiya' – a tribute to Alice Coltrane – unfolding leisurely over 17 minutes. In his own pieces, including the title track and the closing 'Pretty Beauty', Cyrille rarely puts the drums in the foreground.[5] Instead, he prefers a melodic and interactive approach with a particular sensitivity to pitch and space. His music contains echoes of West African sounds, blues, and the jazz drumming tradition, but Cyrille's current approach is more elliptical – he suggests the beat rather than explicitly stating it.
