Muhammad Ali is a free jazz

Free jazz

Free jazz is an approach to jazz music that was first developed in the 1950s and 1960s. Though the music produced by free jazz pioneers varied widely, the common feature was a dissatisfaction with the limitations of bebop, hard bop, and modal jazz, which had developed in the 1940s and 1950s...

 drummer.

Ali was born and grew up in Philadelphia. He, along with his father and brothers, converted to Islam. He recorded with Albert Ayler

Albert Ayler

Albert Ayler was an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist, singer and composer.Ayler was among the most primal of the free jazz musicians of the 1960s; critic John Litweiler wrote that "never before or since has there been such naked aggression in jazz" He possessed a deep blistering tone—achieved...

 in 1969 on the sessions released as Music is the Healing Force of the Universe and The Last Album

The Last Album

The Last Album was the last studio album Albert Ayler released before his death in 1970. The album was released in 1969 on Impulse! Records. The album Music Is the Healing Force of the Universe was also recorded during the sessions for this album...

. He moved to Europe in 1969 along with Frank Wright

Frank Wright

Frank Wright or Francis Wright may refer to:* Frank Lloyd Wright , American architect* Frank Wright , English cricketer* Frank Wright , free jazz musician and saxophonist...

, Noah Howard

Noah Howard

Noah Howard was an American free jazz alto saxophonist.-Biography:An American born in New Orleans, Howard played music from childhood in his church. He first learned trumpet and later switching to alto, tenor and soprano saxophone. He was an innovator influenced by John Coltrane and Albert Ayler...

, and Bobby Few

Bobby Few

Bobby Few is an American jazz pianist.Few was raised in Shaker Heights, a neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, and studied classical piano. He knew Albert Ayler as a youth, and the pair studied jazz and played together in high school...

. His brother is Rashied Ali

Rashied Ali

Rashied Ali, born Robert Patterson was an American free jazz and avant-garde jazz drummer best known for playing with John Coltrane in the last years of Coltrane's life.-Biography:...

.

The Jazz Discography states that Ali participated in 26 recording sessions from 1967 to 1983.

In October 2006, Ali played a concert to celebrate John Coltrane's 80th birthday in Philadelphia with his brother, Dave Burrell

Dave Burrell

Davis Burrell is an American jazz instrumentalist, most notably on the piano. He has worked for many jazz musicians including Archie Shepp, Pharoah Sanders, Marion Brown and David Murray.- Biography :...

 and bassist Reggie Workman

Reggie Workman

Reginald "Reggie" Workman is an American avant-garde jazz and hard bop double bassist, recognized for his work with both John Coltrane and Art Blakey....

. He is also playing with Noah Howard

Noah Howard

Noah Howard was an American free jazz alto saxophonist.-Biography:An American born in New Orleans, Howard played music from childhood in his church. He first learned trumpet and later switching to alto, tenor and soprano saxophone. He was an innovator influenced by John Coltrane and Albert Ayler...

 in the summer of 2008.

Ali spent six weeks teaching Haaz Sleiman

Haaz Sleiman

-Career:One of Sleiman's first roles was in the 2004 African-American gay comedy film The Ski Trip. He co-starred as undocumented Syrian immigrant Tarek in the critically acclaimed 2008 independent film The Visitor, a drama nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award and an Oscar, directed by Thomas...

 to play drums for his part as a drummer in The Visitor

The Visitor (2008 film)

The Visitor is a 2008 American drama film written and directed by Thomas McCarthy and produced by Michael London and Mary Jane Skalski. Executive producers were Jeff Skoll and Omar Amanat...

, and spent some time teaching Richard Jenkins

Richard Jenkins

Richard Dale Jenkins is an American stage, film, and television actor. After beginning his career in theatre, Jenkins made his film debut in 1974, and appeared in supporting roles in numerous film productions in the 1980s and the 1990s. His breakthrough came in the 2000s for playing the deceased...

 drums for his lead role in the same film.

As sideman

With Albert Ayler

Albert Ayler

Albert Ayler was an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist, singer and composer.Ayler was among the most primal of the free jazz musicians of the 1960s; critic John Litweiler wrote that "never before or since has there been such naked aggression in jazz" He possessed a deep blistering tone—achieved...

• The Last Album
  The Last Album
  The Last Album was the last studio album Albert Ayler released before his death in 1970. The album was released in 1969 on Impulse! Records. The album Music Is the Healing Force of the Universe was also recorded during the sessions for this album...
  
  
• Holy Ghost: Rare & Unissued Recordings (1962-70)
  Holy Ghost: Rare & Unissued Recordings (1962-70)
  Holy Ghost: Rare & Unissued Recordings is a compilation album by avant-garde saxophonist Albert Ayler released by Revenant Records in 2004...
  
  
• Music Is The Healing Force Of The Universe

With Bobby Few

Bobby Few

Bobby Few is an American jazz pianist.Few was raised in Shaker Heights, a neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, and studied classical piano. He knew Albert Ayler as a youth, and the pair studied jazz and played together in high school...

• More or Less Few

With Noah Howard

Noah Howard

Noah Howard was an American free jazz alto saxophonist.-Biography:An American born in New Orleans, Howard played music from childhood in his church. He first learned trumpet and later switching to alto, tenor and soprano saxophone. He was an innovator influenced by John Coltrane and Albert Ayler...

• The Black Ark

With Saheb Sarbib

Saheb Sarbib

Saheb Sarbib is an American jazz double-bassist and bandleader.Sarbib, born Jean Henri Sarbib, was raised in Europe. His father was Roger Sarbib a well-respected French pianist and innovator of the Big Band style in Portugal in the 40's and 50's also pianist of icons of French song such as: Edith...

• Live In Europe Vols 1 & 2

With Archie Shepp

Archie Shepp

Archie Shepp is a prominent African-American jazz saxophonist. Shepp is best known for his passionately Afrocentric music of the late 1960s, which focused on highlighting the injustices faced by the African-Americans, as well as for his work with the New York Contemporary Five, Horace Parlan, and...

• Pitchin Can
  Pitchin Can
  Pitchin Can is an album by jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp recorded in Europe in 1969 and 1970 for the America label. The album features one track by Shepp with Clifford Thornton, Noah Howard, Julio Finn, Leroy Jenkins, Dave Burrell, Earl Freeman, Sunny Murray and Chicago Beau and one extended track...
  
  
• Coral Rock
  Coral Rock
  Coral Rock is an album by jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp recorded in Europe in 1970 for the America label at the same sessions which produced Pitchin Can. The album was also issued by the Prestige label in 1973. The Allmusic review by Brandon Burke states "Coral Rock features an absolutely monster...
  
  
• Doodlin'
  Doodlin'
  Doodlin' is an album by jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp recorded in Paris, France in November, 1970 and released on the Inner City label in 1976. The album features performances by Shepp with Alan Shorter, Bob Reid and Muhammad Ali...
  
  

With Alan Shorter

Alan Shorter

Alan Shorter was a free jazz trumpet and flugelhorn player, and the older brother of composer and saxophone player Wayne Shorter.-Biography:...

• Orgasm

With Frank Wright

Frank Wright (jazz musician)

Frank Wright was a free jazz musician known for his frantic style of tenor saxophone.Wright was born in Grenada, Mississippi. He was originally a bass player, working with B. B. King and Bobby "Blue" Bland among others....

• Your Prayer
• One for John
• Church Number Nine
• Last Polka In Nancy?
• Adieu, Little Man
• Unity