Rashied Ali, the pioneering free jazz percussionist who famously accompanied John Coltrane in his most adventurous work, passed away yesterday at 74.
He was a pioneer of using the drum kit to establish melodic/rhythmic cycles, densities of sound, a "multi-rhythmic" approach where the pulse builds in a spiral and the rhythm expands and contracts. This was in contrast to the relentless energy and forward motion of Elvin Jones' hard-charging polyrhythmic style that had provided the 'engine' for Trane's sound throughout the post-bop era of '59 to '64. We can thank LSD in part for this new direction, as Coltrane had begun taking it quite regularly sometime in 1965. Reportedly, on his very first trip, the first thing he was able to get out of his mouth was "I perceived the interconnection of all life forms". With this bit of insight, one familiar with the psychedelic mindset can hear this knowledge and its influence quite clearly in his late period music.
When Coltrane began to move in the direction of totally free improvisation, he needed a different drummer to explore this new space. Rashied Ali was the perfect foil for Trane's new polydirectional, free and expansive approach, providing Coltrane with the ability to move in any direction he pleased at any moment. No longer tied to the traditional jazz concept of rhythm, he was able to achieve a level of unfettered, unfiltered intellectual/emotional/spiritual expression that is simply stunning to behold. The sound of an enlightened mind vibrating the air around him into a detailed fractal sculpture of the inner universe.
"Venus" from Interstellar Space, John Coltrane/Rashied Ali duet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE2WBSXJG8E
Smoke a very large amount of something cerebral, put on some headphones, close your eyes and explore the universe of sound with Rashied and Trane. Both have shed their connection to linear time, and are now one in cyclical eternal rhythm with the Interstellar Space they bravely explored in life. RIP Rashied. RIP Trane.
