Cherry first gained prominence playing with the Ornette Coleman Quartet and contributed to the development of free jazz. He explored various global musical traditions, collaborating with musicians from India, Africa and the Middle East, as displayed on his albums "Brown Rice" and "Multikulti." Never one to be confined, he collaborated with classical composer Penderecki and also recorded an album with Allen Ginsberg. He co-composed the score for Jodorowsky’s film “The Holy Mountain,” and played with musicians as diverse as Sun Ra, Ian Drury and Lou Reed.
