Jazz Drummer ALI Dead....

Legendary jazz drummer RASHIED ALI has died. He was 74.

The percussionist passed away in a New York hospital on Wednesday (12Aug09) after reportedly suffering a heart attack while undergoing surgery.

Ali, who was born Robert Patterson, started his career as a drummer in the U.S. Army band, and later became a well known percussionist after duetting with jazz saxophonist John Coltrane.
He became a famous figure on the jazz scene, performing with Carlos Santana, Albert Ayler, Archie Shepp, Don Cherry, Gary Bartz and Dewey Redman, and opened his own New York jazz club, Ali's Alley, which ran from 1973 until 1979.
More recently, he toured with The Rashied Ali Quintet, which he founded in 2003.
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