Legendary jazz guitarist Larry Coryell, known as the “godfather of fusion”, died in his New York Hotel room at the age of 73, AP reported on Monday. His publicist Kurt Nishimura said he had performed at the city’s Iridium club the day before and died of natural causes.

He had collaborated with jazz greats Miles Davis, Gary Burton and Chet Baker during his career. Coryell’s work was known to incorporate elements of jazz, rock and classical music. His 1969 album, Space, is believed to have paved the way for the jazz fusion movement. Although he did not achieve the commercial success his contemporaries garnered, Coryell is considered a pioneer in jazz rock. He released 60 solo albums, Billboard reported.

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Coryell also had strong ties with India. In 2014, he collaborated with flute maestro Ronu Majumdar and tabla virtuoso Aditya Kalyanpur under an ensemble called Bombay Jazz along with saxophonist George Brooks. He had also collaborated with late Kolkata jazz legend Carlton Kitto and Indian-American violinist Ambi Subramaniam.

He had begun playing the piano when he was 4 and started on the guitar as a teenager. His doubts about succeeding as a musician led him to study journalism at The University of Washington, Billboard reported.

In 1966, he formed a psychedelic band called The Free Spirits. He composed, sang and played the sitar for its performances. Coryell filled in for British guitarist John McLaughlin during a performance of jazz fusion band, Shakti, in 1982, Peter Lavezzoli writes in the book The Dawn of Indian Music in the West. Guitar legend Carlos Santana had described Shakti, which blended jazz and Indian classical melodies, as the “most intense music he had ever heard”, Rolling Stone India reported.

He is survived by his wife, two daughters and two sons.