A child prodigy at the piano, he started his career in New York with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and later played in Charles Lloyd’s and Miles Davis’ bands. From the 1970s, he led his own group and worked as a solo performer. As one of the driving forces of jazz fusion, he combined jazz with influences from other popular genres. His 1975 solo album “The Köln Concert” on ECM became the best-selling piano recording of all time. He played and recorded until he suffered two strokes in 2018.
