This percussionist served as a bridge between bebop and the avant-garde by bringing a consistently swinging pulse to the harmonically adventurous music of Ornette Coleman. Blackwell's relationship with that path-breaking saxophonist began in 1960 and lasted into the ‘80s; he also brought his joyous range of beat-making and free accompaniment to sessions led by David Murray, John Coltrane, and Don Cherry. As someone schooled in New Orleans-style polyphony and group improvization, his contributions to an ensemble tend to feel distinctive but always balanced—and never too showy.