Ed Blackwell

Edward Joseph Blackwell (October 10, 1929 – October 7, 1992) was an American jazz drummer, best known known for his work with saxophonist Ornette Coleman.

Biography
Blackwell was born in New Orleans on October 10, 1929. His career began there in the 1950s, where he played in a bebop quintet with pianist Ellis Marsalis and clarinetist Alvin Batiste and briefly toured with Ray Charles. The second line brass band music of New Orleans greatly influenced Blackwell's drumming style. He has also credited his inspiration for playing the drums to his time growing up trying to mimic and match the sounds of his older sisters tap dancing. He would use pots and pans, and old trash cans until he finally received his first drum.

Blackwell first came to national attention as a member of Ornette Coleman's quartet around 1960, when he took over for Billy Higgins during Coleman's residency at the Five Spot Café in Manhattan. Blackwell became a pioneering free jazz drummer, fusing New Orleans and African rhythms with bebop. Blackwell later toured and recorded extensively with fellow Coleman veterans Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, and Dewey Redman, both individually and as the quartet Old and New Dreams.

In 1973, Blackwell became an artist in residence at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut.

In 1981, Blackwell performed at the Woodstock Jazz Festival, held in celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Creative Music Studio, alongside Mark Helias, Carlos Ward, and Graham Haynes.

Death
After years spent battling kidney disease, Blackwell died on October 7, 1992, in Middletown. He was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame the following year.

As leader

 * 1993: What It Is? Ed Blackwell Project Vol. 1 (Enja)
 * 1994: What It Be Like? Ed Blackwell Project Vol. 2 (Enja)
 * 1996: 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 Bill Barron 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 Alice Coltrane With Don Cherry With Jayne Cortez
 * Every One Of Us (Gramavision)
 * Jazz Caper (Muse, 1978 [1982])
 * 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)
 * Rhythm X (Strata-East, 1973)
 * Six Compositions: Quartet (Antilles, 1982)
 * 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)
 * 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)
 * The Love Revolution (Gambit) – music previously issued on Live In Milano 1968 and The Unprecedented Music of Ornette Coleman
 * Friends and Neighbors: Live at Prince Street (Flying Dutchman)
 * Science Fiction (Columbia, 1971)
 * Broken Shadows (Columbia, 1971 [1982])
 * The Complete Science Fiction Sessions (Columbia, 1971–1972 [2000])
 * Live in Paris 1971 (Jazz Row)
 * 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)
 * Carnegie Hall '71 (Hi Hat, 2018)
 * The Carnegie Hall Concert (Impulse!, 2024)
 * Complete Communion (Blue Note)
 * The Avant-Garde (with John Coltrane as co-leader)
 * Symphony for Improvisers (Blue Note)
 * Where is Brooklyn? (Blue Note)
 * El Corazón (ECM, 1982)
 * Mu First Part (BYG Actuel, 1969)
 * Mu Second Part (BYG Actuel, 1970)
 * Broken Shadows (Moon)
 * Relativity Suite (JCOA)
 * Tamma with Don Cherry and Ed Blackwell (Odin)
 * Multikuti (A&M, 1990)
 * Live at the Bracknell Jazz Festival, 1986 (BBC, 2002)
 * Everywhere Drums (Bola Press)

With Stanley Cowell With Anthony Davis 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 Bob Stewart With Mal Waldron With Wadada Leo Smith
 * Regeneration (Strata East, 1976)
 * Song for the Old World (India Navigation, 1978)
 * 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, 1969 [1972])
 * From the Soul (Blue Note)
 * Sounds of Joy (Enja)
 * Judy's Bounce (Soul Note, 1982)
 * 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!)
 * Goin' Home (JMT, 1989)
 * 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 (Kabell, 2010)