Rashied Ali RIP.

[Gavin Walker]

One of the great drummers and musical spirits has passed away. Rashied Ali (born Robert Patterson) was so much an mportant part of John Coltrane's late period music. He last appeared here in Vancouver with saxophonist Sonny Fortune in a dynamic duo setting that will not soon be forgotten. RIP Rashied. See http://www.rashiedali.org/index.php?id=24

[Brian Nation]

Here's one of my shots of Ali taken during the break of the gig with Sonny Fortune at Lime, June 2005.



I saw Rashied Ali every night for a week at "The Barrel" in Montreal in 1967. His performances were so astonishing I can't even remember all these years later who he was playing with. I couldn't take my eyes off him . . . it was like watching a dancer. I'd never seen anything like it and I'd never heard anything like it. His drumming was almost symphonic . . . beyond keeping time, in fact he kept several times, all enveloped in shifting asymmetrical colours, textures, shapes . . . well, I don't know how to describe it but I never forgot it.

Elvin Jones was one of the greatest drummers in the history of jazz but you can see why Trane hired Ali to take his music to another level.

[LAZZ]

In issue one of UK's Jazzwise Magazine in April 1997 Brian Morton wrote:
“Rashied Ali falls into that uneasy category of musicians defined by a single moment in their careers and for whom it is hard to imagine a more secure or appropriate berth. He’d been to Japan with Rollins; he went back with Coltrane. Between most of what were to be the fundamental questions of the new jazz were drafted. If Rollins was Noah, up to his rainbow bridge, then Coltrane was certainly Moses, struggling to deliver his music from its bonds. On this model, Ali is Aaron, the embodiment of liberation within the laws, carrying his twin rods, and getting water out of his stones.”

[Brian Nation]

Originally Posted by LAZZ

In issue one of UK's Jazzwise Magazine in April 1997 Brian Morton wrote:
“Rashied Ali falls into that uneasy category of musicians defined by a single moment in their careers and for whom it is hard to imagine a more secure or appropriate berth. He’d been to Japan with Rollins; he went back with Coltrane. Between most of what were to be the fundamental questions of the new jazz were drafted. If Rollins was Noah, up to his rainbow bridge, then Coltrane was certainly Moses, struggling to deliver his music from its bonds. On this model, Ali is Aaron, the embodiment of liberation within the laws, carrying his twin rods, and getting water out of his stones.”

Funny...he doesn't look Jewish.

[LAZZ]

I tried to think of a witty and respectful riposte.....
but ran out of idea.

Morton is no red-sea pedestrian either.

[Gregg Simpson]

I saw Rashid Ali's group in at Eddie Condon's in New York in 1990 when I was out there with Lunar Adventures playing at the Knitting Factory. He had Eddie Henderson on trumpet and Reggie Workman on bass. I can't remember who the tenor player was. If anyone can suggest who it would have been, I'd appreciate it.

It was a great gig and Rashid was amazing. Later I found out he was a Philly Joe Jones prodigy when he was younger.