Terri Lyne Carrington facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Terri Lyne Carrington
Background information
Born	(1965-08-04) August 4, 1965 (age 60) Medford, Massachusetts, U.S.
Genres	Jazz, R&B
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer, educator
Instruments	Drums
Years active	1981–present
Labels	Concord Jazz, E1, Video Arts, Verve Forecast, ACT, GrooveJazz Media
Education	Berklee College of Music

Carrington at the 2017 Detroit Jazz Festival

Terri Lyne Carrington, born on August 4, 1965, is an amazing American jazz drummer. She is also a talented composer, producer, and teacher. Terri Lyne has played with many famous musicians. Some of them include Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, and Wayne Shorter. She even toured with Herbie Hancock's bands for ten years, from 1997 to 2007.

In 2007, she became a professor at the Berklee College of Music. This is the same school she attended! She also received a special honorary degree from Berklee in 2003. Terri Lyne has won three Grammy Awards. In 2013, she won for Best Jazz Instrumental Album. This made her the first female musician to win a Grammy in that category.

Carrington is the founder and artistic director of the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice. She also leads The Carr Center in Detroit, Michigan. She helps guide The Recording Academy and other important music groups. You can also hear her host Future Flavors with Terri Lyne Carrington. This is a weekly show on SiriusXM's Real Jazz channel.

Growing Up: Terri Lyne's Early Years

Terri Lyne Carrington was born on August 4, 1965. Her hometown is Medford, Massachusetts, in the United States. She grew up in a very musical family. Her mother played piano just for fun. Her father was a saxophonist and led the Boston Jazz Society.

When Terri Lyne was seven, she received a special gift. It was a set of drums that belonged to her grandfather. Her grandfather, Matt Carrington, had played with famous musicians like Fats Waller. After three years of private lessons, she had her first big performance. It was at the Wichita Jazz Festival with Clark Terry. When she was only 11, she received a full scholarship. This allowed her to study at the Berklee College of Music.

At Berklee, she played with other talented musicians. These included Kevin Eubanks and Donald Harrison. She also learned from drum teacher Alan Dawson. She even made a private recording called TLC and Friends. Her father and other great musicians played on it.

Terri Lyne's Amazing Music Career

Carrington and Herbie Hancock

In 1983, Terri Lyne moved to New York City. Her mentor, Jack DeJohnette, encouraged her to go. There, she worked with many jazz legends. Some of these included Stan Getz and David Sanborn. Later, in the late 1980s, Carrington moved to Los Angeles. She became the main drummer for The Arsenio Hall Show. She also played drums on Quincy Jones' TV show VIBE.

As a bandleader, Terri Lyne has worked with many artists. These include Esperanza Spalding and Patrice Rushen. In the summer of 2011, she performed in South America. She played with Wayne Shorter and John Patitucci. She was also the music director for the Sing the Truth Tour. This tour featured Dianne Reeves and Angelique Kidjo.

Terri Lyne started writing and producing her own music in 1988. Her first album, Real Life Story, came out in 1989. It was nominated for a Grammy Award. Many famous musicians played on this album. These included Carlos Santana and Wayne Shorter. In 2002, she released Jazz Is a Spirit in Europe. Herbie Hancock was one of the musicians on that album. Her 2004 European album was called Structure.

In 2009, Carrington released More to Say ... Real Life Story: NextGen. This album was a follow-up to her first one. It featured artists like George Duke and Nancy Wilson.

Her fifth album, The Mosaic Project, came out in 2011. It was her first album with Concord Jazz. This album won a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2011. In 2013, Carrington released Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue. This album featured songs by Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus. It won the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album. As mentioned, she was the first female musician to win in this category.

Terri Lyne also works with visual artists and choreographers. In October 2020, she received a big honor. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) named her an NEA Jazz Masters Fellow. This award celebrates musicians who have made huge contributions to jazz. She was honored in an online concert in April 2021.

In September 2022, Carrington released a new book. It's called New Standards: 101 Lead Sheets by Women Composers. She also released an album called New Standards Vol. 1. This project helps highlight music by women composers. The 2022 album features a star-studded band and many special guests. Terri Lyne also wrote a children's book. It's called Three of a Kind - The Allen Carrington Spalding Trio. It's a poem about three women who became friends through jazz.

Awards and Special Honors

Terri Lyne Carrington has received many awards for her incredible talent. She has been recognized by music organizations and universities.

Terri Lyne's Albums

As a Leader or Co-Leader

• TLC and Friends (1981)
• Real Life Story (1989)
• Jazz Is a Spirit (2002)
• Structure (2004)
• Onetake: Volume Two (2005)
• More to Say (Real Life Story: NextGen.) (2009)
• The Mosaic Project (2011)
• Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue (2013)
• The Mosaic Project: Love and Soul (2015)
• The Act Years (2015) – a collection of songs
• Murray, Allen & Carrington Power Trio, Perfection (2016)
• Terri Lyne Carrington & Social Science, Waiting Game (2019)
• New Standards Vol. 1 (2022)
• We Insist 2025! (2025) with Christie Dashiell

See also

In Spanish: Terri Lyne Carrington para niños