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Wayne Andre was born on November 17, 1931 in Manchester, Connecticut. His father was a saxophonist, and he took private music lessons from age 15.  In the early 1950s he played with Charlie Spivak before spending some time in the U.S. Air Force. 1955 saw him  joining the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra, and the next year played with Woody Herman. 

From 1956 to 1958 Wayne played with Kai Winding and enrolled at the Manhattan School of Music. He composed his Nutcracker and arranged The Preacher for the Kai Winding Septet while performing with the septet. In the 1960s, he performed with Gerry Mulligan’s first Concert Jazz Band, the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, and Clark Terry’s Big Band. 

He joined the Mission to Russia with Benny Goodman in 1962. He also played with Urbie Green, Art Farmer, Roy Ayres, and Carl Fontana. After settling in New York City, Andre became a sought-after studio sideman and soloist. He has recorded with Liza Minnelli, Bruce Springsteen, and Alice Cooper. 

During the Eighties he played with Lynn Welshman’s Tentet, The Mingus Big Band, The Epitaph Band, Jaco Pastorius and many others. He performed with his own quintet, which included Marvin Stamm, Pat Rebillot, Ronnie Zito, Jay Leonhart; and his septet which included Matt Finders, Keith O’Quinn, and Jim Pugh. Andre performed with his own big band, the Illinois Jacquet Band and Mike Longo’s New York State of the Art Jazz Ensemble.

Wayne Andre, who recorded one hundred and sixty-seven albums as a studio musician, continued to write music for symphony orchestras and big bands throughout his life, died on August 26, 2003.. 



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