Rashied Ali, free-jazz drummer, dies in NYC at 76
(AP) – 12 hours ago

NEW YORK — Free-jazz drummer and John Coltrane sideman Rashied Ali has died in New York. He was 76.

His wife, Patricia Ali, says he died Wednesday afternoon at Bellevue Hospital of a blood clot in his lung.

Ali joined John Coltrane's group in the mid-1960s during the saxophonist's late period of avant-garde jazz experimentation.

He recorded with Coltrane on the 1965 album "Meditations" and on "Interstellar Space" in 1967.

After Coltrane died in 1967, Ali toured Europe before returning to New York.

He ran the jazz club Ali's Alley before it closed in 1979 and continued to perform and record until his death.

Ali was born Robert Patterson on July 1, 1933, to a musical family in Philadelphia, Pa.
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SOURCE: http://www.threeviews.com/jacodiscography.html

Jaco Pastorius - Blackbird .... bootleg .... Timeless (1991 Japan)
Broadway Blues, Slang, Purple Haze, Fannie Mae, Blackbird, Donna Lee, Continuum, Naima
with: Rashied Ali



Following a 4-day workshop in Martinique, Jaco Pastorius and Rashied Ali play a concert on December 14, 1984.

bad news , i saw rashied play at the pizza on the park club in london. i happened to have a copy of the milkowski jaco book with me and rashied didnt look impressed ,i dont think he liked that book .... i bought a cd and he signed it , he had a great band and was playing some great music . i saw him do a duo another time in new york with sonny fortune playing all charlie parker tunes , awesome gig !!! thanks for putting up the jaco/martinique concert clips , its great to hear that duo . interstella space is a great record and also a duo thing , its hard to play duo for a whole gig but rashied had it down it seems , i didnt realise he was that old . god bless him . mike .

Listening To: horace silver/tokyo blues

Hello Ingrid, Julius and Felix
Blessings to you.
Candy informed me last evening about the passing of Rashid Ali. Today I'am sad thinking back to the 60's when Rashid first recorded with Coltrane, I would play along with those recordings for hours and hours. I remember playing them for Jaco and Alex Darqui, Alex reminded me that he first heard Alice Coltrane in my music room when he and Jaco would stop by. I remember playing the drums in that room at least 10 hours a day, I had a bass amp for whenever Jaco wanted to come by and play, when we would take a break Jaco would play my old spinet piano for hours. How I miss those days when the only thing that was seriously important was the music we played, and finding ourselves musically along the way.
Love, Rich Franks

Another memory comes to mind, at my age I better write them down before they are forgotten, Jaco and I had a trio with the great tenor saxophone player Bill Reddish in 1968, we were playing in a bar and everyone was into what we were playing except the jive bartender, during one of my drum solos in the style of Rashid Ali very free, the bartender throws a glass of ice at the drums, I just considered the source and finished playing the set, that was back in the day when people came out to listen to music.

Rich Franks

Thank you Rich for sharing your life experiences with all of us.I hear you loud and clear about the past.I for one love to hear a great band or soloist perform.It seems like nowadays there are only a few of us that enjoy doing this.It seems to me young Americans,for the most part,are missing out on a great pleasure that we all know too well!I meet young people here and there that like what I do on my bass.Because,of my influences that I cherished as a young man that help mold me to play what I like to play musically.That is why I frequent this board.Because of Jaco and his peers that have taught me a thing or two by their music.

Hello dearest Rich, how sweet it is to hear your memories and anything we and young musicians can learn from. Aside from hearing you play with Jaco, one of my favorite musical experiences is listening to you play along with the greats doing the oh so important classics.

I agree with you Dave, it is imperative we get involved in some movement that brings the awareness of jazz into the classrooms. Please check out Bob Barboza and his KidsTalk Radio - Keeping Jazz alive in the schools :

http://www.kidstalkradiola.com/keepingjazzalive.html

Jazz is America's Classical music!

Hello Ingrid
I'm so sorry for being away from my computer for so long, your beautiful website is truly from your heart filled with so much love for music and helping young musicians along the way. I will write some more soon and put some time aside to read more, I have to get ready to go play tonite but I will write soon and promise not to take up to much space A big hello to Dave D (not sure) do I know you ? Peace and Blessings to everyone.
Love, Rich Franks

Hi Rich,you wouldn't know me.I'm 43 and from NJ.I play bass in a classic rock cover band as well as I'm in an original band that plays hard rock.I'm not a signed artist or could care less to be.I like to have fun as well as entertain people that may come and see either of my bands.It's people such as yourself that I admire and respect that have paved the way musically for myself and others down the road.Take care and have a great one,Dave.

Dave D
You mentioned the most important lesson in music "To Have Some Fun". Live it, Practice hard, and have fun. Material things don't matter only the spiritual ones, play from within and protect yourself from the business.

Rich Franks

Great advice, Rich! Fame is overrated, and can be dangerous..but maybe not if you stick to your inner truth.

It seems all things material are temporary in this life and can be taken away in a moments notice, our blessings from within can never be touched or taken away unless we fall from our inner truth and forget how overrated and dangerous fame can be.