Born in Brooklyn of Sudanese descent, he was one of the first musicians to integrate non-Western musical elements into jazz. In addition to being a hard bop bassist of some distinction, he also played the oud, a double-stringed, unfretted Middle Eastern lute, played with a plectrum.

He began studying music at the age of 7, first violin, later the bass, then piano and tuba. His early professional experience ranged from Greek, Syrian and Gypsy weddings to symphony orchestras. Moving into jazz circles in the 1940s, he played with Art Blakey, Randy Weston and Thelonious Monk, among others. In 1972 he performed at one of the first major African jazz festivals in Morocco.