Archie Alleyne

2011 TMA149 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

In a career that spans over 60 years, Archie Alleyne has performed with jazz greats such as Billie Holiday, Lester Young, Chet Baker, Coleman Hawkins, and Stan Getz. He continues to perform internationally, and in Toronto he is one of our most in-demand jazz drummers.

In 1999 he co-founded Kollage, which went on to become one of Canada’s most popular hard-bop ensembles. Archie has also been honoured for his work with young musicians through his Evolution of Jazz project. His mentorship program and the Archie Alleyne Scholarship & Bursary Fund (www.aasf.ca) recognize and encourage academic excellence in jazz studies. In May 2011, Archie will travel to Barbados to present an award from the fund to a talented student of the Barbados Community College.

Archie Alleyne is also known for his activism. He spoke out in 1982 when the Canada Council excluded jazz artists from receiving funding from their recording program, and in the mid-1980s he successfully led a high-profile lobby effort to ensure that black musicians were represented in the Toronto Jazz Festival.

Previous acknowledgement of Archie Alleyne’s accomplishments include: 2005-2007 National Jazz Awards nominee for Drummer of the Year; 2007 nominee for the AFM Charles Walton Diversity Advocate Award; Lifetime Achievement Award 2005, Urban Music Association of Canada; 2005 Gemini Nomination Host; 1993 Jazz Report Award in recognition of musical excellence, drummer of the year. Archie has always been a staunch supporter of the AFM and has been a member of the TMA for 57 years. The Toronto Musicians’ Association is honoured to present Archie Alleyne with our Lifetime Achievement Award.