Influential jazz drummer Milford Graves has passed away at 79

Milford Graves, a pioneering jazz drummer most commonly associated with the free jazz movement, has passed away at age 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 notab