Ed Blackwell

Born and bred in New Orleans, Blackwell brought an unconventional approach to post-Bebop drumming, his snare and tom-tom accents often reflecting the second line rhythms of his hometown. He'll always be most associated with his buoyant contributions to Ornette Coleman's early 1960s quartet, and for records featuring his drumming -- Coleman albums like This is Our Music and Ornette! are tough to beat. He made a handful of his own records, most of them in the early '90s, including Walls-Bridges, an excellent free Bop trio featuring saxophonist Dewey Redman.