Armando Cairo Ç Tenor saxophone, Soprano saxophone and Drums

Armando Cairo was born in Amsterdam the 21st of March in 1953. He studied painting and portrait painting and graduated at the Rietveld Academy of Arts in 1976.

At age twenty-four he started playing the tenor saxophone. He took lessons, for two years from be-bop alto player, Ron Rem. Armando moved on to the workshops of Nedly Elstak (Trumpetplayer, Composer and Arranger). After the beginners-workshop he attended Nedly's Composer- and Arrangingclasses.

In 1982 he won the Meervaart Jazz Concours and the VPRO Aanmoedigings award with the Armando Cairo Quintet.

He played in several Dutch Jazzgroups: amongst others, Fra Fra Sound, the Frank Grasso Big band, Rockin' the Reeds, Fonk, Quartet Tritonus and still with the Billy Brooks Big Band. Armando toured with the Dutch Connection (direction by Butch Morris) and the South African Joe Malinga Septet.

Armando fronted a group for two years with Jeldrik IJland - Alto saxophone, Essiet 'Okun' Essiet - Double Bass and Don Mumford - Drums. In 1987 he formed the Armando Cairo Sextet, featuring Martin van Duynhoven - Drums, Wilbert de Joode - Double Bass, Joost Buis - Trombone, Jos Driessen - Trumpet and Jeldrik IJland - Alto saxophone. This group played originals and arrangements by Armando only.

Armando Cairo appeared four times at the North Sea Jazz Festival, once with the Frank Grasso Big Band and three times with his own groups.

Armando also played tenor- and soprano saxophone, for two years, in the 'Harlem Orchestra', the band that accompanied the very succesfull musical A night at the Cotton Club.

He toured in Europe; through Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria and in 2001 he performed for the first time in the United States, in Hartford CT.

Since 1994 he is leading the 'Armando Cairo Quartet', featuring Clarence Becton - Drums, Eric Barkman - Double Bass and Cajan Witmer - Piano. This group recorded two cd's: Redheaded Sirens in 1996 and Tenor Brutality! in 1999. Since 1999 Johnny Tevreden replaces Eric Barkman.

Armando Cairo admires tenors with The Big Sound like Don Byas, Coleman Hawkins, Dexter Gordon, Eddie ‘Lockjaw’ Davis, Clifford Jordan, Paul Gonsalves, Gene Ammons, John Gilmore, Red Prysock, Arnett Cobb, Bennie Wallace, Archie Shepp, Big Jay McNeely, Stanley Turrentine, Lucky Thompson, Ben Webster, Charlie Rouse, Ike Quebec, Lew Tabackin and especially Sonny Rollins.

In the past Armando also organized jazz-concerts in Amsterdam venues like: Odeon Jazzkelder, Bourbon Street, The Bulldog and Arti et Amicitae. At this time he organises the fridaynight jamsessions at the notorious jazzcafe 't Geveltje.

In 1985 Armando Cairo started to teach jazz improvisation at Crea, the Cultural Department of the University of Amsterdam. In 1986 he also became the musical director of the Crea Big band, for which he also arranges and composes.

The ‘Crea Big band’ appears regularly with versatile Dutch jazz soloists. In alphabetical order: Joost Buis - Trombone, Candy Dulfer - Alto saxophone, Hans Dulfer - Tenor saxophone, Anton Goudsmit - Guitar, Maarten van der Grinten - Guitar, Rinus Groeneveld - Tenor saxophone, Benjamin Herman - Alto saxophone, Piet Kuiters - Piano, David Kweksilber- Reeds, Saskia Laroo - Trumpet, Loet van der Lee - Trumpet, Boris van der Lek - Tenor saxophone, Miguel Martinez - Alto saxophone, Jan Menu-Baritone saxophone, Luluk Purwanto - Violin, Joost van Schaik - Drums, Ben Schröder - Drums, Dmitry Shapko- tenor, Efraim Trujillo - Tenor saxophone, Eric Vloeimans- Trumpet, Wolter Wierbos – Trombone, and many others.