Ed Blackwell

Ed Blackwell (October 10, 1929 – October 7, 1992) was an American jazz drummer born in New Orleans, Louisiana, known for his extensive, influential work with Ornette Coleman.

Biography
Blackwell's early career began in New Orleans in the 1950s. He played in a bebop quintet that included pianist Ellis Marsalis and clarinetist Alvin Batiste. There was also a brief stint touring with Ray Charles. The second line parade music of New Orleans greatly influenced Blackwell's drumming style and could be heard in his playing throughout his career.

Blackwell first came to national attention as the drummer with Ornette Coleman's quartet around 1960, when he took over for Billy Higgins in the quartet's legendary stand at the Five Spot in New York City. He is known as one of the great innovators of the free jazz of the 1960s, fusing New Orleans and African rhythms with bebop. In the 1970s and 1980s Blackwell toured and recorded extensively with fellow Ornette Quartet veterans Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, and Dewey Redman in the quartet Old and New Dreams.

In the late 1970s Blackwell became an Artist-in-Residence at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT. Blackwell was a beloved figure on the Wesleyan Campus until he died.

"The Ed Blackwell Project" members were Mark Helias, bass, Carlos Ward, alto sax/flute, and Graham Haynes (son of drummer Roy Haynes), cornet.

After years of kidney problems, Blackwell died in 1992. The following year he was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame.

As leader

 * 1992: What It Is!
 * 1992: What It Be Like?
 * 1992: Walls-Bridges (Black Saint)

With Old and New Dreams
 * Old and New Dreams (Black Saint, 1976)
 * Old and New Dreams (ECM, 1979)
 * Playing (ECM, 1980)
 * A Tribute to Blackwell (Black Saint, 1987)

As sideman
With Ray Anderson With Karl Berger With Jane Ira Bloom With David Bond With Charles Brackeen With Anthony Braxton With Marion Brown With Ornette Coleman With Steve Coleman With Don Cherry With Anthony Davis With Jayne Cortez With Eric Dolphy With Dewey Redman  With Charlie Haden With Albert Heath With Clifford Jordan With Joe Lovano  With Jemeel Moondoc With David Murray With Art Neville With Yoko Ono With Hilton Ruiz With Archie Shepp With Mal Waldron With Wadada Leo Smith
 * Every One Of Us (Gramavision)
 * Karl Berger (ESP Disk)
 * Tune In (Milestone)
 * Just Play 1976 (Quark)
 * Transit w/ Dave Holland (Black Saint)
 * Crystal Fire (Quark)
 * Mighty Lights (Enja)
 * The Key of Life (Vineyard)
 * The Music of Charles Brackeen-Rhythm X (Strata-East)
 * Six Compositions: Quartet (Antilles)
 * Vista (Impulse!, 1975)
 * Awofofora (Disco Mate)
 * This Is Our Music (Atlantic, 1960)
 * Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation (Atlantic, 1960)
 * Ornette! (Atlantic, 1961)
 * Ornette on Tenor (Atlantic, 1961)
 * The Complete Science Fiction Sessions
 * Beauty Is a Rare Thing (Rhino/Atlantic)
 * The Art of the Improvisers (Atlantic)
 * Twins (Atlantic)
 * To Whom Who Keeps a Record (Atlantic)
 * Live in Milano 1968 (Jazz Up)
 * The Unprecedented Music Of Ornette Coleman (Lotus Passport)
 * Friends and Neighbors: Live at Prince Street (Flying Dutchman)
 * Broken Shadows (Columbia, 1971)
 * Science Fiction (Columbia, 1971)
 * The Belgrade Concert (Jazz Door)
 * European Concert (Unique Jazz)
 * Paris Concert (Trio)
 * Skies of America (Columbia)
 * Stating The Case (Jazz Anthology)
 * Rhythm In Mind (RCA/Novus)
 * Complete Communion (Blue Note)
 * The Avant-Garde
 * Symphony for Improvisers (Blue Note)
 * Where is Brooklyn? (Blue Note)
 * El Corazón (ECM, 1982)
 * Mu First Part (BYG Actuel)
 * Mu Second Part (BYG Actuel)
 * Broken Shadows (Moon)
 * Relativity Suite (JCOA)
 * Tamma with Don Cherry and Ed Blackwell (Odin)
 * Multikuti (A&M, 1990)
 * Song for the Old World (India Navigation)
 * Everywhere Drums (Bola Press)
 * At the Five Spot, Vols 1 & 2
 * Memorial Album (Prestige)
 * Here and There (Prestige)
 * Dash One (Prestige)
 * Tarik (BYG Actuel, 1969)
 * Red and Black in Willisau (Black Saint, 1980)
 * The Struggle Continues (ECM)
 * The Montreal Tapes: with Don Cherry and Ed Blackwell (Verve, 1989 [1994])
 * Kawaida (O'Be)
 * Lee Morgan w/ Clifford Jordan Quintet-Live in Baltimore 1968 (Fresh Sound)
 * In The World (Strata-East)
 * From the Soul (Blue Note)
 * Sounds of Joy (Enja)
 * Judy's Bounce (Soul Note)
 * Morning Song (Black Saint)
 * Ming's Samba (Portrait)
 * Death of a Sideman (DIW)
 * What's Going On" (Specialty)
 * That Old Time Rock 'N' Roll" (Specialty)
 * Plastic Ono Band (Apple)
 * Cross Currents (Stash)
 * Further Fire Music (Impulse!)
 * On This Night (GRP/Impulse!)
 * The Magic of Ju-Ju (Impulse!)
 * Breaking New Ground (Baybridge 1983)
 * Mal Waldron Plays Eric Satie (Baybridge, 1983)
 * You and the Night and the Music (Paddle Wheel, 1983)
 * The Git Go - Live at the Village Vanguard (Soul Note, 1986)
 * The Seagulls of Kristiansund (Soul Note, 1986)
 * The Blue Mountain's Sun Drummer: Live 1986 (Kabell, 2010)