Influential jazz drummer Milford Graves has passed away at 79
NPR journalist Lars Gotrich confirmed that Graves passed away of congestive heart failure on February 12.Graves had been battling amyloid cardiomyopathy — also known as stiff heart syndrome — since 2018, when he was diagnosed and given six months to live.Born in Queens on August 20, 1941, Graves began learning percussion instruments from a young age, most notably the congas.In the 1960s, he was a founding member of the New York Art Quartet, an influential free jazz ensemble that also featured saxophonist John Tchicai, trombonist Roswell Rudd and bassist Lewis Worrell.Over a career spanning more than half a century, Graves performed with many other ensembles, including the Milford Graves Percussion Ensemble and the Milford Graves Latino