Barney Wilen, the French pioneer of 1960s “free jazz” and a sizzling saxophonist who once toured with Miles Davis, has died. He was 59.

Wilen died Saturday of cancer at his home in Paris, French media reported Monday.

Known for his delicate and nonchalant style, Wilen became a big name in jazz in the 1950s and enjoyed a resurgence of popularity in the 1980s as new fans discovered his work.

Born to an American father and a French mother on March 4, 1937 in Nice, Wilen lived in the United States during World War II.