David Lyttle

Lyttle began performing under the direction of his parents with the Lyttle Family and in his teens was active as a drummer, DJ and studied classical cello. He began his jazz career in the band of Louis Stewart in 2007 and released his debut album True Story the same year. He has featured notable jazz artists in his groups, including Kurt Rosenwinkel, Seamus Blake, Terell Stafford,{{cite web|url=http://www.whatsonglasgow.co.uk/event/058366-david-lyttle-trio-featuring-kurt-rosenwinkel/|title=David Lyttle Trio featuring Kurt Rosenwinkel|access-date=15 November 2019|archive-date=15 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115150936/http://www.whatsonglasgow.co.uk/event/058366-david-lyttle-trio-featuring-kurt-rosenwinkel/|url-status=dead}} Greg Osby,{{cite web|title='Live Reviews: David Lyttle Group feat. Greg Osby', The Journal of Music|url=http://journalofmusic.com/criticism/live-reviews-david-lyttle-group-featuring-greg-osby|access-date=21 May 2012}} Jean Toussaint and Tim Warfield, and appeared in the groups of Jesse van Ruller,

{{cite web |url=

https://londonjazznews.com/2018/05/01/review-jesse-van-ruller-at-olivers-jazz-bar-in-greenwich/ |title=Jesse van Ruller Trio|access-date=15 November 2019}} David Kikoski

{{cite web |url=https://www.parisjazzclub.net/en/60117/concert/2019/01/31/david-kikoski-trio |title=David Kikoski Trio|access-date=15 November 2019}} and Soweto Kinch.

Lyttle was nominated in the 2015 MOBO Awards for Best Jazz Act.{{cite news | url=http://voting.mobo.com/artists/david-lyttle | work=MOBO Awards | title=David Lyttle | date=5 October 2015 | access-date=9 October 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151009054259/http://voting.mobo.com/artists/david-lyttle | archive-date=9 October 2015 | url-status=dead }} He is the first Irish musician to have been nominated for a MOBO.{{cite news| url=http://www.culturenorthernireland.org/features/music/david-lyttle-makes-history-mobo-nod | work=Culture Northern Ireland | title=David Lyttle Makes History | date=9 October 2015}} He was also nominated for an Urban Music Award in October 2015.

{{cite web |url=http://urbanmusicawards.net/2015/10/nominations-are-announced-for-the-13th-annual-urban-music-awards-2015/| work=Urban Music Awards |title=Nominations Are Announced|access-date=2 Dec 2015}}

In April 2017 he carried out a 5000-mile, coast-to-coast residency in the U.S., performing for unusual audiences in an attempt to understand more about the public's connection with jazz. The tour included performances at the Bagdad Café on Route 66 in the Mojave Desert, the Little A'Le'Inn' in Rachel, Nevada near Area 51 and at the site of jazz drummer Art Blakey's childhood home in the Hill District, Pittsburgh.{{cite web |url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/artsfilmtv/david-lyttle-is-taking-jazz-back-to-america-455486.html|title=David Lyttle is taking jazz back to America|access-date=4 Nov 2017}}{{cite web |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/the-best-jazz-gigs-to-catch-this-week-1.3152493|title=The best jazz gigs to catch this week|access-date=4 Nov 2017}}{{cite web |url=http://wesa.fm/post/ireland-hill-district-one-drummer-hopes-you-haven-t-forgotten-pittsburgh-s-jazz-greats#stream/0|title=From Ireland To The Hill District, One Drummer Hopes You Haven’t Forgotten Pittsburgh’s Jazz Greats|work=WESA|access-date=11 November 2022}} Lyttle received the Arts Council of Northern Ireland's Major Individual Award, worth £15,000, for the project and vlogged for the MOBO Awards YouTube channel.{{cite web |url=http://www.artscouncil-ni.org/news/arts-council-honours-four-major-artists|title=Arts Council honours four major artists|access-date=4 Jan 2017}}

In October 2018 Lyttle collected tape recordings of New York City residents speaking about change in the city, creating "Tapes & Drums, New York", a solo show which features his improvised drumming.{{cite web |url= https://cqaf.com/david-lyttle-tapes-drums-new-york/ |title= David Lyttle: Tapes & Drums, New York |access-date=27 December 2022}}

Lyttle's 2022 tour included dates in Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, Tunisia, Canada and throughout Europe.{{cite web |url= https://jazzlifealliance.org/who-we-are/ |title= Who We Are |access-date=27 December 2022}}

In June 2023 he performed for Irish President Michael D. Higgins at Aras an Uachtaráin.{{cite web|title=President Michael D. Higgins|url= https://www.instagram.com/p/CuFtGkjsiXE/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== |access-date=12 July 2023}}

Lyttle has released three acoustic jazz albums, two crossover albums and five hip-hop EPs. His studio projects and output as a producer are usually centred around hip-hop, using live drums or the Akai MPC 2000XL, and often feature the Rhodes piano.

{{cite web |url= https://undergroundhiphopblog.com/albums/irish-producer-david-lyttle-is-spending-christmas-at-home-with-new-beat-tape/ |title= Irish Producer David Lyttle Is Spending "Christmas At Home" With New Beat Tape |access-date=27 December 2022}}

{{cite web |url= https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/people/van-morrison-75-story-behind-collaboration-jazz-musician-david-lyttle-and-film-star-liam-neeson-2963212/ |title= Van Morrison at 75: the story behind collaboration of jazz musician David Lyttle and film star Liam Neeson |access-date=27 December 2022}}

Lyttle's second studio album Interlude was released on 2 January 2012. Its guests include Soweto Kinch, Pino Palladino, Jason Rebello and members of his family. It received its first radio airing on BBC Introducing on BBC Radio 1,{{cite web|title=BBC Introducing, 12/9/12|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b014f3dc

|access-date=15 May 2012}} and received positive reviews in Ireland and Britain. MOBO described it as "an exceptional album"{{cite web|title=David Lyttle Interlude|url=http://www.mobo.com/news-blogs/david-lyttle-interlude|access-date=2 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019111315/http://www.mobo.com/news-blogs/david-lyttle-interlude|archive-date=19 October 2013|url-status=dead}} and Hot Press said it was "a rare sort of treat to come out of Ireland".{{cite web|title=David Lyttle: Interlude|url=http://www.hotpress.com/archive/8880646.html

|access-date=2 April 2014}}

Lyttle's third studio album Faces was released on 16 March 2015 and featured collaborations with Talib Kweli, Duke Special and Joe Lovano.{{cite web|title=David Lyttle, Faces, Lyte Records|url=http://www.marlbank.net/reviews/2396-david-lyttle-faces-lyte-records|access-date=23 Jan 2015|archive-date=23 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123222055/http://www.marlbank.net/reviews/2396-david-lyttle-faces-lyte-records|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=David Lyttle, About|url=http://www.davidlyttle.com/about.htm|access-date=23 Jan 2015}} It was well received by critics with Dave DiMartino of Rolling Stone calling it "one of the best, robust listening experiences you’re likely to have all year"{{cite web |last=DiMartino |first=Dave |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/renovated-apartments-following-foellakzoid-more-20150402

|title=David Lyttle Faces |date=2 April 2015 |access-date=3 April 2015}} and Colm O'Hare of Hot Press describing it as "one of the most inventive Irish releases of the year."

{{cite web |last=O'Hare |first=Colm |url=http://www.hotpress.com/music/reviews/albums/David-Lyttle---Faces/13599888.html |title=David Lyttle - Faces|date=2 March 2015 |access-date=3 April 2015}} Other media champions included Lauren Laverne on BBC 6 Music and Jazz FM.

On 20 November 2015 Lyttle released Say & Do, a collaborative album with Northern Irish singer/songwriter VerseChorusVerse. It reached No. 1 in the Amazon UK blues chart.{{cite web|url=http://www.lyterecords.com/versechorusverse-collaborates-with-david-lyttle-on-roots-album.htm|title=VerseChorusVerse Collaborates|access-date=2 Dec 2015|archive-date=8 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208102121/http://www.lyterecords.com/versechorusverse-collaborates-with-david-lyttle-on-roots-album.htm|url-status=dead}}

In August 2020 Lyttle collaborated with Liam Neeson, reimagining Van Morrison's "On Hyndford Street" for Hot Press magazine's YouTube celebration of Morrison at 75. Lyttle plays Rhodes piano, cello, organ and bass guitar on the recording which he also produced.

Lyttle's third jazz album IN2 was released on cassette in July 2022 and digitally in March 2023. Recorded exclusively as a duo with guitarist Phil Robson, it was described as "quietly groundbreaking" by All About Jazz.{{cite web|title= David Lyttle & Phil Robson: IN2 |url= https://www.allaboutjazz.com/in2-david-lyttle-and-phil-robson-lyte-records/ |access-date=12 July 2023}} In December 2022 he released Christmas At Home, a hip-hop beat tape EP which samples obscure Christmas albums. He has since released a further eight hip-hop EPs, including four volumes of his Trailer Sound series. In August 2023 he released ‘I Thought You Knew’ with Detroit rapper and J Dilla associate Frank Nitt.

In 2015 Lyttle was Derry's Musician In Residence as part of the city's legacy program following its designation as UK City of Culture.{{cite web |url=http://www.londonderrysentinel.co.uk/news/jazz-drummer-lyttle-is-new-fixture-1-6693338|title=Jazz drummer Lyttle is new Derry fixture|access-date=4 Jan 2017}} From January to March 2016 he was Musician In Residence at the Metropolitan Arts Centre, Belfast, where he mentored up-and-coming jazz musicians from Northern Ireland.{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03kjtfp|title=Arts Show|access-date=4 Jan 2017}}

In September and October 2017, Lyttle was the British Council and PRS for Music's Musician In Residence in Suzhou, China. He collaborated with traditional Chinese musicians and released a weekly podcast called Tapes From China.{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/nov/28/emmy-the-great-music-exchange-china-british-council|title= Emmy the Great joins music exchange programme in China |access-date=4 Jan 2017}}

Lyttle is the artistic director of Jazzlife Alliance, a non-profit jazz talent development organisation whose principle funder is the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. He is the founder of its youth programme, Jazz Juniors, which is based at the Metropolitan Arts Centre, Belfast.{{cite web |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/jazz-musician-northern-ireland-mobo-one-b2026627.html |title= Musician aims to create jazz scene in Northern Ireland with junior ensemble |access-date=27 December 2022}}

Since 2018 he has been the Northern Irish ambassador for UK charity Live Music Now.{{cite web |url=

https://www.livemusicnow.org.uk/david-lyttle-takes-on-ambassador-role-for-live-music-now-northern-ireland/ |title= David Lyttle takes on ambassador role for Live Music Now Northern Ireland|access-date=27 December 2022}}

As owner and founder of Lyte Records, Lyttle has released albums by notable jazz, blues and roots artists, including Ari Hoenig, Jason Rebello, Nigel Mooney and Jean Toussaint. He has also produced debut albums for young talents such as Israeli classical pianist Ariel Lanyi{{cite web|title=Jews Schmooze 2011 'Sounds Familiar' Programme|url=http://www.community-relations.org.uk/about-us/news/item/679/jews-schmooze-2011-sounds-familiar-programme|access-date=15 May 2012|archive-date=3 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503195411/http://www.community-relations.org.uk/about-us/news/item/679/jews-schmooze-2011-sounds-familiar-programme|url-status=dead}} and Slovakian jazz guitarist Andreas Varady,{{cite web|last=Lindsay|first=Bruce|title="Andreas Varady / David Lyttle: Questions (2010)", All About Jazz|url=http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=38089|access-date=15 May 2012}} who was managed by Quincy Jones{{cite web|title=Quincy Jones Artists|url=http://www.quincyjones.com/artists/|access-date=29 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130106210235/http://www.quincyjones.com/artists/|archive-date=6 January 2013|url-status=dead}} and was discovered by Lyttle in 2010.{{cite web|title="Following the Footsteps of Giants", Guitar Player|url=http://www.guitarplayer.com/article/4045|access-date=21 May 2012}}

• True Story (2007)
• Interlude (2012)
• Faces (2015)
• IN2 (David Lyttle & Phil Robson) (2022)
• Christmas At Home (2022)
• Trailer Sound, Vol. 1 (2023)
• Trailer Sound, Vol. 2 (2023)
• Trailer Sound, Vol. 3 (2023)
• Bandit (2023)
• Zero (2023)
• Return of the Bandit (2023)
• Trailer Sound, Vol. 4 (2023)
• Frontier Soul (2023)

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• {{Official website|http://www.davidlyttle.com}}

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Category:1984 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from Waringstown

Category:Jazz musicians from Northern Ireland

Category:Musicians from County Down

Category:Alumni of Ulster University

Category:British jazz drummers

Category:Male drummers from Northern Ireland

Category:21st-century drummers from Northern Ireland