Domino Records announced this morning that drummer Steve Reid passed away in his sleep last night after a battle with cancer.

Reid’s rich musical history began at the age of 16. He started off in the house band at Harlem’s Apollo Theatre under the direction of Quincy Jones, and went on to record and perform with the likes of Miles Davies, Fela Kuti, James Brown, Lester Bowie, Ornette Coleman, Chief Bey, Archie Shepp, Sam Rivers, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Sun Ra. In the 60s, Reid, a self-taught musician, was sentenced to four years in jail for conscientiously objecting to the Vietnam war; there he taught courses on black history to his fellow inmates. In recent years, Reid collaborated with Four Tet’s Kieran Hebden for the albums The Exchange Session Vol. 1, The Exchange Session Vol. 2, Tongues, and NYC.

Kieran Hebden and Steve Reid “Brain”

Brief Reid interview and performance with Four Tet