Age, Biography and Wiki

Milford Graves (Milford Robert Graves) was born on 20 August, 1941 in Jamaica, Queens, New York, U.S., is an American jazz drummer and percussionist (1941–2021). Discover Milford Graves's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is he in this year and how he spends money? Also learn how he earned most of networth at the age of 80 years old?

Popular As Milford Robert Graves
Occupation composer,actor,writer
Age 80 years old
Zodiac Sign Leo
Born 20 August, 1941
Birthday 20 August
Birthplace Jamaica, Queens, New York, U.S.
Date of death 12 February, 2021
Died Place N/A
Nationality United States

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 20 August. He is a member of famous Composer with the age 80 years old group.

Milford Graves Height, Weight & Measurements

At 80 years old, Milford Graves height not available right now. We will update Milford Graves's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible.

Physical Status
Height Not Available
Weight Not Available
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Who Is Milford Graves's Wife?

His wife is Lois (? - 12 February 2021) ( his death) ( 5 children)

Family
Parents Not Available
Wife Lois (? - 12 February 2021) ( his death) ( 5 children)
Sibling Not Available
Children Not Available

Milford Graves Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2023-2024. So, how much is Milford Graves worth at the age of 80 years old? Milford Graves’s income source is mostly from being a successful Composer. He is from United States. We have estimated Milford Graves's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets.

Net Worth in 2024 $1 Million - $5 Million
Salary in 2024 Under Review
Net Worth in 2023 Pending
Salary in 2023 Under Review
House Not Available
Cars Not Available
Source of Income Composer

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Timeline

1935

In the years that followed, Graves toured and recorded in a quartet setting with drummers Cyrille, Kenny Clarke, and Famoudou Don Moye, recorded a duo album with David Murray, and performed and recorded with the New York Art Quartet in celebration of their 35th anniversary.

1941

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 born in Jamaica, Queens, New York City, on August 20, 1941.

He began playing drums when he was three years old, and was introduced to the congas at age eight.

He also studied timbales and African hand drumming at an early age.

1960

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."

By the early 1960s, he was leading dance bands and playing in Latin/Afro Cuban ensembles in New York on bills alongside Cal Tjader and Herbie Mann.

His group, the Milford Graves Latino Quintet, included saxophonist Pete Yellin, pianist Chick Corea, bassist Lisle Atkinson, and conga player Bill Fitch.

Graves recorded Black Woman with Sonny Sharrock in the late 1960s and began playing with drummers Andrew Cyrille and Rashied Ali on a series of concerts titled "Dialogue of the Drums."

1962

In 1962, Graves heard the John Coltrane quartet with Elvin Jones, whose drumming made a strong impression.

The following year, Graves acquired a standard drum set from pianist Hal Galper and began using it regularly.

That summer, percussionist Don Alias invited Graves to Boston for a residency, and Graves began playing with saxophonist Giuseppi Logan.

1964

During a visit to New York in 1964, Logan introduced Graves to trombonist Roswell Rudd and saxophonist John Tchicai.

Graves "wound up playing with them for half an hour, astonishing Rudd and Tchicai, who promptly invited him to join what became The New York Art Quartet."

Rudd recalled that Graves's "playing was like an anti-gravity vortex, in which you could either float or fly depending on your impulse."

According to Tchicai, "Graves simply baffled both Rudd and I in that, at that time, we hadn't heard anybody of the younger musicians in New York that had the same sense of rhythmic cohesion in polyrhythms or the same sense of intensity and musicality."

Tchicai also stated that Don Moore, the original New York Art Quartet bassist, "became so frightened of this wizard of a percussionist that he decided that this couldn't be true or possible and therefore refused to play with us."

That same year, Graves also participated in the "October Revolution in Jazz" organized by Bill Dixon, and appeared on a number of recordings, including the New York Art Quartet's self-titled debut album, Giuseppi Logan's debut album, which also featured pianist Don Pullen and bassist Eddie Gómez, Paul Bley's Barrage, Montego Joe's ''Arriba!

Con Montego Joe (which also featured Chick Corea and Gómez), and the Jazz Composer's Orchestra's Communication''.

Graves also briefly played with Albert Ayler's trio, which included bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Sunny Murray, as a second drummer.

This combination of musicians inspired John Coltrane to add Rashied Ali as a second drummer the following year.

1965

In 1965, Graves continued to expand his horizons, studying the tabla with Wasantha Singh and recording with Miriam Makeba on Makeba Sings!.

He also recorded and released a percussion album titled Percussion Ensemble, which featured drummer Sonny Morgan.

Val Wilmer wrote that the recording "remains just about the most brilliantly conceived and executed percussion album to date."

That year, Graves also recorded on the New York Art Quartet's second album Mohawk, on Montego Joe's second album, Wild & Warm, on Lowell Davidson's sole release, and on a second album with Giuseppi Logan, again working with Don Pullen.

1966

Graves and Pullen soon formed a duo, and in 1966 they recorded and released In Concert at Yale University, followed by Nommo, on their SRP ("Self Reliance Project") label.

1967

Graves joined Albert Ayler's band in 1967, replacing Beaver Harris.

The group performed at Slugs' Saloon, at the Newport Jazz Festival, and, on July 21, at John Coltrane's funeral.

1973

In 1973, Bill Dixon helped secure Graves a teaching position at Bennington College, where Graves taught until 2012.

1974

Graves and Cyrille also recorded and released an album without Ali and with the title "Dialogue of the Drums" in 1974.

During this time, Graves studied to become a medical technician and managed a lab for a veterinarian.

1977

(Dixon had previously brought Jimmy Lyons, Jimmy Garrison, Alan Shorter, and Alan Silva to Bennington.) In 1977, Graves released two albums under his own name: Bäbi, which featured reed players Arthur Doyle and Hugh Glover, and Meditation Among Us, with a Japanese jazz quartet composed of Kaoru Abe, Toshinori Kondo, Mototeru Takagi, and Toshiyuki Tsuchitori.

1980

During the early 1980s, Graves also began working with dancer Min Tanaka.

1998

He also recorded two solo albums, Grand Unification (1998) and Stories (2000), as well as albums with John Zorn, Anthony Braxton, William Parker, and Bill Laswell.

2004

(Recordings of this performance were released in 2004 on the compilation Holy Ghost.) Later that year, the group recorded Love Cry.

Graves left Ayler's band when Impulse! began pushing Ayler in a more commercial direction.

2008

In 2008 and 2012, Graves performed with Lou Reed.

2017

In 2017, Graves played on Sam Amidon's album The Following Mountain.

2018

2018 saw Graves performing with bassist Shahzad Ismaily, as well as the release of the documentary Milford Graves Full Mantis, directed by Graves's former student, Jake Meginsky, along with Neil Cloaca Young.