Skip to content

Biography · Inventions

Milford Graves

1941–2021

United States

Source image for Milford GravesLoading image…
Visit the source record ↗

Biography

Milford Graves (August 20, 1941 – February 12, 2021) was an American jazz drummer, percussionist, Professor Emeritus of Music, researcher/inventor, visual artist/sculptor, gardener/herbalist, and martial artist. 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.

Sources & collection details

Wikipedia contributors — original record ↗

Black heritage reference ↗

Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

Continue exploring Series 1

Science & Invention →Arts, Music & Culture →Education & Ideas →

Explore all Series 1 cards →

Keep exploring