American free jazz and avant-garde jazz drummer, born Robert Patterson on July 1st, 1935 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, moved to New York in 1963; brother of jazz drummer Muhammad Ali. Passed away August 12th, 2009.
He run the venue Ali's Alley, opend 1973, closed 1979, located in Soho, 77 Greene St., N.Y.C. 10012 New York. At the same location he run Studio 77, NYC. He also founded Survival Records.
Starting off as a pianist he eventually took up the drums, via trumpet and trombone.(wikipedia)