Milford Graves
American jazz drummer and percussionist (1941-2021) · United States · On the map · Musicians · Died at 79
Milford Graves was an American jazz drummer, percussionist, Professor Emeritus of Music, researcher/inventor, visual artist/sculptor, gardener/herbalist, and martial artist.
Milford Graves is read about 30 times a day, in 11 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 22 June 2026
The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 60 days, one point a day.
Something wrong?People around Milford
Close ties
John Zorn Bandmate in Milford Graves/John Zorn Duo
Gary Peacock Bandmate in Lowell Davidson Trio
Bill Laswell Duets: Space/Time - Redemption (2014)
Kenny Clarke Duets: Pieces of Time (1984)
Anthony Braxton Duets: Beyond Quantum (2008)
Matthew Barney Directed River of Fundament (2014)
Andrew Cyrille Duets: Pieces of Time (1984)
Marshall Allen Duets: Flow States (2020)
Roscoe Mitchell Duets: Flow States (2020)
William Parker Duets: Beyond Quantum (2008)
Don Moye Duets: Pieces of Time (1984)
Media & music
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Awards
About this person
Graves was noteworthy for his early avant-garde contributions in the 1960s with Paul Bley, Albert Ayler, and the New York Art Quartet, and is considered to be a free jazz pioneer, liberating percussion from its timekeeping role. The composer and saxophonist John Zorn referred to Graves as "basically a 20th-century shaman."
