Jack DeJohnette, Drummer Who Played with Miles Davis, Dies at 83

Renowned jazz drummer Jack DeJohnette died on Sunday, Oct. 26, in a hospital in Kingston, N.Y. He was 83.

He died of congestive heart failure, a representative for his family told The New York Times. His family also shared the news on his social media pages.

The late Grammy winner was best known for his collaborations with Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett and Charles Lloyd. 

DeJohnette was born on Aug. 9, 1942, in Chicago. He was raised by his mother and his maternal grandmother, who legally adopted him. His grandmother gave him a spinet, and he began taking piano lessons at about 5 years old.

DeJohnette’s uncle, Roy Wood Sr., also helped foster his passion for music. Wood was a radio announcer and jazz disc jockey and took DeJohnette around to clubs. 

By high school, he was performing rock ‘n roll piano with a doo-wop group. DeJohnette was inspired to return to jazz after hearing pianist Ahmad Jamal’s 1958 live album At the Pershing: But Not for Me. In 1961, he graduated from Chicago Vocational School — where he met his first wife, Deatra Davenport.

DeJohnette pivoted to the drums after a friend left a drum kit in his family’s basement. He quickly learned to play by playing along with records that featured famed jazz drummers. Then he moved to New York in 1966, per pianist Muhal Richard Abrams’ advice.

His professional career began that same year. He joined Lloyd’s quartet, performed alongside saxophonist-flutist Lloyd and bassist Cecil McBee, and they would go on to tour around the world with Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead and many more.

In 1969, Davis recruited DeJohnette for his band. The next year, he played on Davis’ 1970 album, Bitches Brew. Davis noted in his memoir that DeJohnette “gave me a certain deep groove that I just loved to play over,” per The New York Times.

In the following years, he would create and participate in New Directions, the Special Edition and the Standards Trio. DeJohnette joined Jarrett and bassist Gary Peacock as the Standards Trio, which made their debut with the 1983 Standards, Vol. 1 album.

DeJohnette continued to pivot genres. By 1992, he was working as a rock drummer. In 2006, he won a Grammy for his meditative soundscapes album, Peace Time. He later returned to his avant-garde roots in 2015 with Made in Chicago.

Later in his life, DeJohnette received various awards, including the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master in 2012. Four years later, he returned to piano with his first solo piano album, Return.

Following the news of his death, which was shared on his Instagram page, several drummers mourned DeJohnette in the comment section. Vinnie Colaiuta commented, “Rest in power MAESTRO 🙏🙏🙏. Our hearts are broken yet filled with what you have given us. Thank you Sir.”

“Rest In Peace, Power, and Paradise Maestro❤️, till we meet again 🕊️,” Johnathan Blake added. “Rest in Paradise maestro @jackdejohnette_ Thank You for everything you shared with us! Light to your Soul ❤️💡❤️,” Dafnis Prieto wrote.

“So hard to put into words what Jack represented as a musician, innovator and human being,” Antonio Sanchez wrote. “He always was the creative eye of the hurricane no matter what context he was put in. He effortlessly created magical avenues for countless musicians to glide through while simultaneously challenging them and pushing them. He was so unique in our music that all you needed to say was his first name and anybody knew exactly the sound and energy you were referring to.”

DeJohnette is survived by his wife of 57 years, Lydia, and their two daughters, Farah and Minya.