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Andrew Kushnir
Andrew Kushnir is a Brooklyn-based jazz drummer and co-leader of the group Straight Up! alongside guitarist Reed Miller. Born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, he began his musical studies with drummers Michel Berthiaume and Jim Doxas.
From 2012 to 2015, Andrew attended Berklee College of Music, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Performance. In 2017, he completed a Master of Music in Instrumental Performance with a focus on Jazz Studies at NYU. Since then, Andrew has become a staple of the New York City jazz scene, performing regularly as both a bandleader and sideman.
He appears frequently at venues throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn, most notably hosting jam sessions at Smalls Jazz Club and leading his own ensembles at Wormwood Distillery in Sunset Park. In 2025, Straight Up! released their self-titled debut album, now available on all streaming platforms.
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Andrew Kushnir: Influences
by Don Phipps
Judging from the album cover, a coffee-filled cup on a drum, one might anticipate that drummer Andrew Kushnir's debut album, Influences, would be a hard charging affair. And Kushnir and his trio (Ryan Slatko on piano and Rick Rosato on bass) do not disappoint. The trio offers up some head-bobbing jazz at its finest. Piano trios need strong contributions from the piano to convey the spirit of the music, and Slatko's solos explore bop, swing, and blues riffs, ...
Continue ReadingTake Five with Andrew Kushnir
by AAJ Staff
About Andrew Kushnir Montreal born drummer,Andrew Kushnir first came onto the Canadian Music scene when he joined the acclaimed Franco Proietti Morph-Tet at the age of 17 as a DJ/Turntablist. With the Morph-tet , Andrew went on to record three albums (Morphology, Like The Shore is to The Ocean, and Live at St. Ambroise) and play many of the major Canadian music festivals such as the Fringe Festival, The St. Ambroise Funk N' Jazz Festival, and The Quebec ...
Continue ReadingKushnir, who is now studying for his Masters in Performance at New York University Steindhart with Stefon Harris and Joe Lovano, provided strong but nuanced drumming to the trio, complementing the melodic feel of two well-known Montreal musicians: pianist Josh Rager and double bassist Adrian Vedady. -Alayne McGregor ottawajazzscene.ca
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Andrew Kushnir
Location: New York City
Instrument: Drums
Born: November 1, 1989
