Person · Male
Don Cherry
jazz trumpeter
- From
- Oklahoma City, United States
- Active
- 1936–1995
- Releases
- 78
- jazz
- avant-garde jazz
- free jazz
- spiritual jazz
About
Donald Eugene Cherry (November 18, 1936 – October 19, 1995) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and multi-instrumentalist. Beginning in the late 1950s, he had a long tenure performing in the bands of saxophonist Ornette Coleman, including on the pioneering free jazz albums The Shape of Jazz to Come (1959) and Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation (1961). Cherry also collaborated separately with musicians including John Coltrane, Charlie Haden, Sun Ra, Ed Blackwell, the New York Contemporary Five, and Albert Ayler.
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Cherry released his debut album as bandleader, Complete Communion, in 1966. In the 1970s, he became a pioneer in world fusion, with his work drawing on African, Middle Eastern, and Hindustani music, as heard on the 1975 release Brown Rice. He was a member of the ECM group Codona, along with percussionist Naná Vasconcelos and sitar and tabla player Collin Walcott. Chris Kelsey of AllMusic called Cherry "one of the most influential jazz musicians of the late 20th century."
Member of
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Old and New Dreams trumpet
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New York Contemporary Five trumpet
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The Ornette Coleman Quartet cornet, trumpet
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Ornette Coleman Quintet trumpet
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Albert Ayler Quartet trumpet
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Don Cherry’s New Researches eponymous, harmonium, piano, other vocals, tambura
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The Don Cherry Quintet eponymous, trumpet
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Don Cherry Quartet eponymous, piano, trumpet
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Don Cherry Trio eponymous, piano, flute, gong, cornet
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Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra additional, flute, cornet
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Sonny Rollins Quartet cornet
Discography
Albums
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It Is Revealed
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Psychology
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The Avant-Garde
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Togetherness
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Complete Communion Apple Music
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Symphony for Improvisers Apple Music
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Where Is Brooklyn? Apple Music
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Eternal Rhythm Apple Music
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“mu” Second Part Apple Music
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Human Music
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“mu” First Part Apple Music
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Organic Music Society Apple Music
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Relativity Suite
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Eternal Now
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Brown Rice
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Hear & Now Apple Music
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Mandingo Griot Society
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Old and New Dreams
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El Corazón
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Music / Sangam
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Home Boy, Sister Out Apple Music
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City Spirits
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Art Deco Apple Music
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Multikulti Apple Music
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Dona Nostra
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Movement Incorporated
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The 1987 Hamburg Concert
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Om Shanti Om
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Music for Turkish Theater
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1964 Recordings, First Visit Completed
Singles
Live
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Sunrise - Live in Ypsilanti, MI, 1977
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Roundtrip (1977)
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Trio
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The Summer House Sessions Apple Music
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NU Live in Glasgow
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Universal Silence
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Free Jazz Meeting Baden Baden '67
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Terry Riley Don Cherry Duo
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Musical Monsters Apple Music
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Köln – February 23, 1975
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Complete Live at The Village Gate 1962
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Live at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles – December 1st, 1976
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Studio session for Tambourinen
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Modern Art: Stockholm 1977
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Live in Stockholm Apple Music
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The Lenox Jazz School Concert
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Live at Café Montmartre 1966 Volume Three
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Live at Café Montmartre 1966 Volume Two
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Live in Frankfurt 82
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Live at Café Montmartre 1966
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Orient / Blue Lake Apple Music
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Live at the Bracknell Jazz Festival, 1986
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The Sonet Recordings
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The Montreal Tapes
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Tamma with Don Cherry & Ed Blackwell
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Live in Ankara
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The Third World-Underground
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Blue Lake Apple Music
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Orient Apple Music
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At Beethoven Hall
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Actions
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At Beethoven Hall
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At Beethoven Hall II
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Berlin Jazz Fest 11-9-68
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1980-05-30: Jazzfestival 1980, Nyon, Switzerland
Compilations
Links
Listen
Concerts
Buy
Married
Parent
Supporting musician
Also known as
Cherry, Don · Donald Eugene Cherry · ドン・チェリー
Tags
- 2008 universal fire victim
Identifiers
- MusicBrainz
- adf3879a-e091-4f73-8792-861a7a3e3abe
- ISNI
- 0000000110677283
Data from MusicBrainz, saved 8 Nov 2026. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, covers from the Cover Art Archive and Apple Music.