Kahil El'Zabar (born Clifton Blackburn; November 11, 1953) is an American jazz multi-instrumentalist (mainly a percussionist) and composer.

He attended Lake Forest College and joined the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) in the early 1970s, and became its chairman in 1975.

[2] During the 1970s, he formed the musical groups Ritual Trio and the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, both of which remain active.

In 2017 the film Be Known - The Mystery of Kahil El Zabar by filmmaker Dwayne Johnson-Cochran was released.

With Ethnic Heritage Ensemble With Ritual Trio With Tri-Factor With Kahil El'Zabar Quartet With David Murray With Wadada Leo Smith