Drummer Rashied Ali was a progenitor and leading exponent of the multidirectional rhythms/polytonal percussion known as free jazz drumming. He is arguably best known for being John Coltrane's duet partner on the blistering Interstellar Space; Ali was able to match the physical demands in the music while empathizing with its spiritual concerns. He played with Alice Coltrane's group until 1971, after which he created the Survival label with saxophonist Frank Lowe to issue his own recordings. Ali released Duo Exchange in the company of Lowe in 1973, and recorded and toured with artists ranging from Noah Howard, Sangeeta, and Phalanx to Jaco Pastorius, Charles Gayle, and Tisziji Munoz. He also founded the avant-jazz outfit Prima Materia, notable for the 1994 John Coltrane tribute Peace on Earth.