Alphonse Lee Mouzon (November 21, 1948 – December 25, 2016) was an American

jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, amplifiers, and keyb ...

drummer and the owner of Tenacious Records, a label that primarily released Mouzon's recordings. He was a composer, arranger, producer, and actor. He gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Biography

Early life

Mouzon, of African, French, and

Blackfoot The Blackfoot Confederacy, ''Niitsitapi'' or ''Siksikaitsitapi'' (ᖹᐟᒧᐧᒣᑯ, meaning "the people" or " Blackfoot-speaking real people"), is a historic collective name for linguistically related groups that make up the Blackfoot or Bla ...

descent, was born on November 21, 1948, in

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint ...

. He received his first musical training at Bonds-Wilson High School, and moved to New York City upon graduation. He studied drama and music at the

City College of New York The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a public university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York City. Founded in 1847, Cit ...

, as well as medicine at Manhattan Medical School. He continued receiving drum lessons from Bobby Thomas, the drummer for

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major f ...

pianist

Billy Taylor Billy Taylor (July 24, 1921 – December 28, 2010) was an American jazz pianist, composer, broadcaster and educator. He was the Robert L. Jones Distinguished Professor of Music at East Carolina University in Greenville, and from 1994 was the a ...

. He played percussion in the 1968

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

show '' Promises, Promises'', and he then worked with pianist

McCoy Tyner Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet (from 1960 to 1965) and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Master and five-time Gr ...

. He spent a year as a member of the

band,

Weather Report Weather Report was an American jazz fusion band active from 1970 to 1986. The band was founded in 1970 by Austrian virtuoso keyboardist Joe Zawinul, American saxophonist Wayne Shorter, Czech bassist Miroslav Vitouš, American drummer and vocalis ...

. After that Mouzon signed as a solo artist to the

Blue Note In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note that—for expressive purposes—is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard. Typically the alteration is between a quartertone and a semitone, but this varies depending on the musical c ...

label in 1972.

Career

Mouzon's visibility increased during his tenure with guitarist

Larry Coryell Larry Coryell (born Lorenz Albert Van DeLinder III; April 2, 1943 – February 19, 2017) was an American jazz guitarist. Early life Larry Coryell was born in Galveston, Texas, United States. He never knew his biological father, a musician. He ...

's Eleventh House fusion band from 1973 to 1975. Albums from this period include ''Introducing the Eleventh House'', ''Level One'', ''Mind Transplant'' (a solo album), and in 1977, a reconciliation recording with Coryell entitled ''Back Together Again''. Mouzon recorded ''

Mind Transplant ''Mind Transplant'' is the third album by American jazz drummer Alphonse Mouzon recorded in 1974 and released on the Blue Note label.

'' in 1974 with guitarist

Tommy Bolin Thomas Richard Bolin (August 1, 1951 – December 4, 1976) was an American guitarist and songwriter who played with Zephyr (from 1969 to 1971), The James Gang (from 1973 to 1974), and Deep Purple (from 1975 to 1976), in addition to maintaining a ...

, who had previously played on

Billy Cobham William Emanuel Cobham Jr. (born May 16, 1944) is a Panamanian–American jazz drummer who came to prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s with trumpeter Miles Davis and then with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. He was inducted into the ''Moder ...

's ''

Spectrum A spectrum (plural ''spectra'' or ''spectrums'') is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary, without gaps, across a continuum. The word was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of colors ...

''. He recorded four R&B albums: ''The Essence of Mystery'' (Blue Note, 1972), ''Funky Snakefoot'' (Blue Note, 1973), ''The Man Incognito'' (Blue Note, 1976) (including "Take Your Troubles Away"), and in the 1980s ''By All Means'', which featured

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helpe ...

Lee Ritenour Lee Mack Ritenour ( ; born January 11, 1952) is an American jazz guitarist who has been active since the late 1960s. Biography Ritenour was born on January 11, 1952, in Los Angeles, California, United States. At the age of eight he started pla ...

, the Seawind Horns, and

Freddie Hubbard Frederick Dewayne Hubbard (April 7, 1938 – December 29, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter. He played bebop, hard bop, and post-bop styles from the early 1960s onwards. His unmistakable and influential tone contributed to new perspectives fo ...

. Mouzon performed with many prominent jazz fusion musicians. In 1991, he performed with

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

on the movie soundtrack album entitled ''Dingo''. Mouzon composed the song ''The Blue Spot'' for the jazz club scene, and appeared as an actor and drummer in the

Tom Hanks Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...

-directed film, '' That Thing You Do'' in 1996. Alphonse Mouzon played the role of Miles in the film ''The Highlife'', which was exhibited at a film festival in Houston in 2003. He also can be seen with

Michael Keaton Michael John Douglas (born September 5, 1951), known professionally as Michael Keaton, is an American actor. He is known for his various comedic and dramatic film roles, including Jack Butler in '' Mr. Mom'' (1983), Betelgeuse in ''Beetlejuice'' ...

and

Katie Holmes Kate Noelle Holmes (born December 18, 1978) is an American actress. She first achieved fame as Joey Potter on the television series ''Dawson's Creek'' (1998–2003). Holmes made her feature film debut in 1997 with a supporting role in Ang Lee ...

in the film '' First Daughter'', and as Ray in the movie '' The Dukes'', along with

Robert Davi Robert John Davi (born 1953) is an American actor, singer and filmmaker. Over the course of his acting career, Davi has performed in more than 130 films. Among his most known roles are opera-singing heavy Jake Fratelli in ''The Goonies'' (1985), ...

, Chazz Palminteri and

Peter Bogdanovich Peter Bogdanovich (July 30, 1939 – January 6, 2022) was an American director, writer, actor, producer, critic, and film historian. One of the "New Hollywood" directors, Bogdanovich started as a film journalist until he was hired to work on ...

. Mouzon played with

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, so ...

, Eric Clapton,

Jeff Beck Geoffrey Arnold Beck (born 24 June 1944) is an English rock guitarist. He rose to prominence with the Yardbirds and after fronted the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. In 1975, he switched to a mainly instrumental style, with a focus ...

Carlos Santana Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist who rose to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band Santana, which pioneered a fusion of Rock and roll and Latin American jazz. Its sound feature ...

Patrick Moraz Patrick Philippe Moraz (born 24 June 1948) is a Swiss musician, film composer and songwriter, best known for his tenures as keyboardist in the rock bands Yes and The Moody Blues. Born into a musical family, Moraz learned music at a young age a ...

Betty Davis Betty Davis (born Betty Gray Mabry; July 26, 1944 – February 9, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter, and model. She was known for her controversial sexually-oriented lyrics and performance style, and was the second wife of trumpeter Mile ...

, and

Chubby Checker Chubby Checker (born Ernest Evans; October 3, 1941) is an American rock and roll singer and dancer. He is widely known for popularizing many dance styles, including The Twist dance style, with his 1960 hit cover of Hank Ballard & The Midni ...

Robert Plant Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the English rock band Led Zeppelin for all of its existence from 1968 until 1980, when the band broke up following the ...

, lead singer of

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are cite ...

, during his acceptance speech for induction into the 1995

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and ...

, listed Alphonse Mouzon as one of the band's influences from American music. In 1992, Mouzon formed Tenacious Records, and released his album ''The Survivor''. Subsequent releases on Tenacious Records, including re-issues of earlier albums, included ''On Top of the World'', ''Early Spring'', ''By All Means'', ''Love Fantasy'', ''Back to Jazz'', ''As You Wish'', ''The Night is Still Young'', ''The Sky is the Limit'', ''Distant Lover'', ''Morning Sun'', and ''Absolute Greatest Love Songs and Ballads''. The 1981 album ''Morning Sun'' was his most successful album in Southeast Asia, particularly in the Philippines. Most songs in the album, notably the title track, were extensively played on various FM and AM radio stations during that time, and are still being used in advertisements, commercials, social events, and radio news programmes in that country. Mouzon played on a recording with Albert Mangelsdorff (trombone), and

Jaco Pastorius John Francis Anthony "Jaco" Pastorius III (; December 1, 1951 – September 21, 1987) was an American jazz bassist, composer and producer. He recorded albums as a solo artist and band leader and was a member of Weather Report from 1976 to 1981. ...

(bass), named ''Trilogue''. Originally recorded in 1976, and re-released in 2005, this performance was from November 6, 1976, at the Berlin Jazz Days. In 2014, Mouzon was invited by producer Gerry Gallagher to record with Latin rock legends

El Chicano El Chicano was an American brown-eyed soul group from Los Angeles, California, whose style incorporated various modern music genres including rock, funk, soul, blues, jazz, and salsa. The group's name was from Chicano, a term for United Sta ...

, as well as

David Paich David Frank Paich (born June 25, 1954) is an American musician, best known as the co-founder, principal songwriter, keyboardist and singer of the rock band Toto since 1977. He wrote or co-wrote much of Toto's original material, including the ba ...

Brian Auger Brian Albert Gordon Auger (born 18 July 1939) is an English jazz rock and rock music keyboardist who specialises in the Hammond organ. Auger has worked with Rod Stewart, Tony Williams, Jimi Hendrix, John McLaughlin, Sonny Boy Williamson, a ...

, Alex Ligertwood,

Ray Parker Jr. Ray Erskine Parker Jr. (born May 1, 1954) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. As a solo performer, he wrote and performed the theme song to the 1984 film ''Ghostbusters''. Previously, Parker achieved a US top-10 hi ...

, Lenny Castro,

Vikki Carr Florencia Vicenta de Casillas-Martínez Cardona (born July 19, 1940), known by her stage name Vikki Carr, is an American vocalist. She has a singing career that spans more than four decades. Born in El Paso, Texas, to Mexican parents, she has pe ...

Pete Escovedo Peter Michael Escovedo (born July 13, 1935 in Pittsburg, California) is an American percussionist. "Pete Escovedo Biography & Awards"/ref> With his two brothers, Pete formed Escovedo Bros Latin Jazz Sextet, before Carlos Santana hired Pete and ...

, Peter Michael Escovedo, Jessy J, Marcos J. Reyes,

Siedah Garrett Deborah Christine "Siedah" Garrett (born June 24, 1960) is an American singer and songwriter who has written songs and performed backing vocals for many recording artists in the music industry, such as Michael Jackson, the Pointer Sisters, Brand ...

Walfredo Reyes Jr. Walfredo Reyes Jr. (born Walfredo de los Reyes Palau IV; December 18, 1955) is a Cuban American musician who is an expert in drum set and auxiliary percussion, a music educator, and a clinician. He has performed with many jazz, Latin, World mus ...

Salvador Santana Salvador Santana (born May 22, 1983 in Marin County, California, part of the San Francisco Bay Area) is a singer, spoken word artist, songwriter, and composer. His main instruments are the electronic keyboard and piano. He is the son of ten-time ...

, and

Spencer Davis Spencer Davis (born Spencer David Nelson Davies; 17 July 193919 October 2020) was a Welsh singer and musician. He founded The Spencer Davis Group, a band that had several hits in the 1960s including "Keep On Running", "Gimme Some Lovin'", and ...

, and is featured on drums on two tracks ''Make Love'' and ''The Viper'', that are part of Gallagher's most recent studio album due to be released in 2019.

Health problems and death

On September 7, 2016, Mouzon was diagnosed with

neuroendocrine carcinoma Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are neoplasms that arise from cells of the endocrine (hormonal) and nervous systems. They most commonly occur in the intestine, where they are often called carcinoid tumors, but they are also found in the pancreas, lung ...

, a rare form of cancer. His son, Jean-Pierre Mouzon, reported his father had died of

cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and possi ...

at his home in Granada Hills, Los Angeles, California, on December 25, 2016, at the age of 68.

Awards and honors

* Listed in the second edition of ''

Marquis Who's Who Marquis Who's Who ( or ) is an American publisher of a number of directories containing short biographies. The books usually are entitled ''Who's Who in...'' followed by some subject, such as ''Who's Who in America'', ''Who's Who of American Wome ...

'' in Entertainment and ''Who's Who in the World'' * Voted the No. 2 best multi-instrumentalist in the 1995 ''Jazziz'' Magazine Annual Readers' Poll

Discography

As leader

* '' The Essence of Mystery'' (Blue Note, 1973) * '' Funky Snakefoot'' (Blue Note, 1974) * ''

Mind Transplant ''Mind Transplant'' is the third album by American jazz drummer Alphonse Mouzon recorded in 1974 and released on the Blue Note label.

'' (Blue Note, 1975) * '' The Man Incognito'' (Blue Note, 1976) * ''Live at Berlin Jazz Days'' with Trilogue (MPS, 1977) * ''Virtue'' (MPS, 1977) * ''In Search of a Dream'' (MPS, 1978) * ''Baby Come Back'' (Metronome, 1979) * ''Morning Sun'' (Pausa, 1981) * ''By All Means'' (Pausa, 1981) * ''Distant Lover'' (Highrise, 1982) * ''The Sky Is the Limit'' (Pausa, 1985) * ''The Eleventh House'' with Larry Coryell (Pausa, 1985) * ''Back to Jazz'' (L+R, 1986) * ''Love, Fantasy'' (Optimism, 1987) * ''Early Spring'' (Optimism, 1988) * ''As You Wish'' with Final Notice (Jazzline, 1989) * ''Now'' with Infinity (Inak, 1991) * ''Nevertheless'' with Just Friends (In+Out, 1992) * ''The Survivor'' (Tenacious, 1992) * ''On Top of the World'' (Tenacious, 1994) * ''The Night Is Still Young'' (Tenacious, 1996) * ''Fusion Jam'' with Tommy Bolin (1999) * ''Live in Hollywood'' (Tenacious, 2001) * ''Jazz in Bel-Air'' (Tenacious, 2008) * ''Angel Face'' (Tenacious, 2011)

As sideman

With

* '' Introducing Eleventh House with Larry Coryell'' (Vanguard, 1974) * '' Level One'' (Arista, 1975) * '' Planet End'' (Vanguard, 1975) * ''Back Together Again'' (Atlantic, 1977) * ''At Montreux'' (Vanguard, 1978) * ''The Coryells'' (Chesky, 2000) * ''January 1975'' (Promising Music, 2014) * ''Seven Secrets'' (Savoy, 2016) With

* ''

Directstep ''Directstep'' is the twenty-fourth studio album by jazz pianist Herbie Hancock. The record was released only in Japan on January 21, 1979, via CBS/Sony label. Participating musicians include saxophonist Bennie Maupin, keyboardist Webster Lewis ...

'' (CBS/Sony, 1979) * '' Mr. Hands'' (Columbia, 1980) * ''

Monster A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology and religion. Monsters are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive with a strange, grotesque appearance that causes terror and fe ...

'' (Columbia, 1980) * ''

Magic Windows ''Magic Windows'' is the thirty-second album by jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, released on September 29, 1981 on Columbia. This album continues his collaboration with associate producer Jeffrey Cohen, who co-wrote four of the tracks on the album. ...

'' (Columbia, 1981) With

* ''

Sahara , photo = Sahara real color.jpg , photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972 , map = , map_image = , location = , country = , country1 = , ...

'' (Milestone, 1972) * '' Song for My Lady'' (Milestone, 1973) * '' Song of the New World'' (Milestone, 1973) * '' Enlightenment'' (1973) With

Jasper van 't Hof Jasper van 't Hof (born 30 June 1947) is a Dutch jazz pianist and keyboard player. Van 't Hof was born in Enschede, Overijssel, Netherlands, and began studying piano at the age of five. He played in jazz bands at school, and by the age of 19 was ...

* ''However'' (MPS, 1978) * ''Live in Montreux'' (Pausa, 1980) * ''Nevertheless'' (In+Out, 1992) With others *

Al Di Meola Albert Laurence Di Meola (born July 22, 1954) is an American guitarist. Known for his works in jazz fusion and world music, he began his career as a guitarist of the group Return to Forever in 1974. Between the 1970s and 1980s, albums such as ' ...

, '' Land of the Midnight Sun'' (Columbia, 1976) * Alphonso Johnson, ''Moonshadows'' (Epic, 1976) *

Arild Andersen Arild Andersen (born 27 October 1945) is a Norwegian jazz musician bassist, known as the most famous Norwegian bass player in the international jazz scene. Career Andersen was born at Strømmen, Norway. He started his musical career as jazz g ...

, '' A Molde Concert'' (ECM, 1982) *

Azar Lawrence Azar Lawrence (born November 3, 1952) is an American jazz saxophonist, known for his contributions as sideman to McCoy Tyner, Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, and Woody Shaw. Lawrence was the tenor saxophonist Tyner used following John Coltrane's d ...

, ''Prayer for My Ancestors'' (Furthermore, 2008) *

, ''Crashin' from Passion'' (P-Vine, 1995) *

Bill Summers Bill Summers may refer to: * Bill Summers (car builder) (1935–2011), American car builder and longtime speed record holder *Bill Summers (musician) (born 1948), American jazz percussionist *Bill Summers (umpire) William Reed Summers (November 1 ...

, ''Feel the Heat'' (Prestige, 1977) *

Bobbi Humphrey Barbara Ann "Bobbi" Humphrey (born April 25, 1950) is an American jazz flautist and singer who plays jazz fusion, funk, and soul-jazz. She has recorded twelve albums and founded the jazz label Paradise Sounds Records. In 1971, she was the first f ...

, '' Dig This!'' (Blue Note, 1972) * Carl Anderson, ''Fantasy Hotel'' (GRP, 1992) * Carlos Garnett, ''The New Love'' (Muse, 1978) * Charles Sullivan, ''Genesis'' (Strata-East, 1974) *

Donald Byrd Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II (December 9, 1932 – February 4, 2013) was an American jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter and vocalist. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd was one of the few hard bop mus ...

, ''

Caricatures A caricature is a rendered image showing the features of its subject in a simplified or exaggerated way through sketching, pencil strokes, or other artistic drawings (compare to: cartoon). Caricatures can be either insulting or complimentary, a ...

'' (Blue Note, 1976) * Doug Carn, ''Spirit of the New Land'' (Black Jazz, 1972) * Eugene McDaniels, ''Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse'' (Atlantic, 1971) *

Fania All-Stars The Fania All-Stars is a musical group formed in 1968 as a showcase for the musicians on Fania Records, the leading salsa music record label of the time. History Beginnings In 1964, Fania Records was founded in New York City by Jerry Masucci, a ...

, ''Live'' (Fania, 1978) *

Freda Payne Freda Charcilia Payne (born September 19, 1942Some sources give a birth year of 1945, but this appears to be an error as all sources agree that she is older than her sister Scherrie, born 1944.) is an American singer and actress. Payne is best ...

, ''Supernatural High'' (Capitol, 1978) *

Gil Evans Ian Ernest Gilmore Evans ( né Green; May 13, 1912 – March 20, 1988) was a Canadian–American jazz pianist, arranger, composer and bandleader. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest orchestrators in jazz, playing an important role ...

, ''Gil Evans'' (Ampex, 1970) *

Jeremy Steig Jeremy Steig (September 23, 1942 – April 13, 2016)Peter Keepnews, "Jeremy ...

, '' Temple of Birth'' (Columbia, 1975) *

Joachim Kühn Joachim Kurt Kühn (born 15 March 1944) is a German jazz pianist. Biography He was born in Leipzig, Germany. Kühn was a musical prodigy and made his debut as a concert pianist, having studied classical piano and composition, with Arthur Schmid ...

, ''Hip Elegy'' (MPS/BASF 1976) * Joe Cuba, ''Cocinando La Salsa'' (Fania, 2008) *

John Klemmer John T. Klemmer (born July 3, 1946) is an American saxophonist, composer, songwriter, and arranger. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and began playing guitar at the age of five and alto saxophone at the age of 11. His other earl ...

, '' Magic and Movement'' (Impulse!, 1974) *

Kimiko Kasai (born December 15, 1945 in Kyoto, Japan) is a retired Japanese jazz singer. Biography Kimiko was born in Kyoto, Japan in 1945. She first became interested in jazz at the age of 13 after hearing Chris Connor's song "All About Ronnie" on the radi ...

, ''Butterfly'' (CBS/Sony, 1979) *

Les McCann Leslie Coleman McCann (born September 23, 1935) is an American jazz pianist and vocalist. Feather, Leonard, and Ira Gitler (2007), ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz'', p. 448. Oxford University Press. Early life Les McCann was born in ...

, '' Invitation to Openness'' (Atlantic, 1972) *

, ''

Dingo The dingo (''Canis familiaris'', ''Canis familiaris dingo'', ''Canis dingo'', or ''Canis lupus dingo'') is an ancient ( basal) lineage of dog found in Australia. Its taxonomic classification is debated as indicated by the variety of scient ...

'' (Warner Bros., 1991) *

Narada Michael Walden Narada Michael Walden ( ; Michael Walden; born April 23, 1952) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He acquired the nickname Narada from Sri Chinmoy. He began his career as a drummer, working primarily in the jazz ...

, ''Sending Love to Everyone '' (Walden 1995) *

Norman Connors Norman Connors (born March 1, 1947) is an American jazz drummer, composer, arranger, and producer who has led a number of influential jazz and R&B groups. He also achieved several big R&B hits of the day, especially with love ballads. He is pos ...

, ''Dance of Magic'' (Cobblestone, 1972) *

Passport A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that contains a person's identity. A person with a passport can travel to and from foreign countries more easily and access consular assistance. A passport certifies the persona ...

, ''Talk Back'' (WEA, 1988) *

, '' The Story of I'' (Atlantic, 1976) * Paul Jackson, ''Black Octopus'' (Eastworld, 1978) *

Paul Jackson Jr. Paul Milton Jackson Jr. (born December 30, 1959) is an American fusion/urban jazz composer, arranger, producer and guitarist. He was born and raised in Los Angeles. Jackson knew by the age of fifteen that he wanted to become a professional mus ...

, ''Never Alone'' (Blue Note, 1996) *

Roberta Flack Roberta Cleopatra Flack (born February 10, 1937) is a retired American singer. She topped the ''Billboard'' charts with the No. 1 singles " The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song", " Feel Like Makin' Love", " Wh ...

, '' Feel Like Makin' Love'' (Atlantic, 1974) * Robin Kenyatta, ''Stompin' at the Savoy'' (Atlantic, 1974) * Robin Kenyatta, ''Beggars and Stealers'' (Muse, 1977) *

Rodney Franklin Rodney Franklin (born September 16, 1958) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Biography Franklin was born in Berkeley, California in September, 1958. In 1964, aged six, he took jazz piano lessons at the Washington Elementary School and w ...

, ''Learning to Love'' (Columbia, 1982) * Rolf Kühn, ''Cucu Ear'' (MPS, 1980) *

Roy Ayers Roy Ayers (born September 10, 1940) is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer, vibraphone player, and music producer. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Pol ...

, ''Ubiquity'' (Polydor, 1970) *

Teruo Nakamura was a Taiwanese- Japanese soldier of the Imperial Japanese Army who fought for Japan in World War II and did not surrender until 1974. He was the last known Japanese holdout to surrender after the end of hostilities in 1945. Military service ...

, ''Unicorn'' (Three Blind Mice, 1973) *

Tim Hardin James Timothy Hardin (December 23, 1941 – December 29, 1980) was an American folk and blues musician and composer. As well as releasing his own material, several of his songs, including " If I Were a Carpenter" and " Reason to Believe", beca ...

, '' Bird on a Wire'' (Columbia, 1971) * Tony Newton, ''Mysticism & Romance'' (NCI, 1978) * Torsten de Winkel, ''Mastertouch'' (EMI, 1985) *

Wayne Shorter Wayne Shorter (born August 25, 1933) is an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Shorter came to prominence in the late 1950s as a member of, and eventually primary composer for, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. In the 1960s, he joined Miles Da ...

, '' Odyssey of Iska'' (Blue Note, 1971) *

, ''

'' (Columbia, 1971)

References

External links

*
Alphonse Mouzon
at

Drummerworld Drummerworld is a Swiss drum website created by Bernhard Castiglioni in 1997. The site focuses on the biographies of prominent rock and jazz drummers and drum lessons, along with a discussion forum. Popularity and awards Half of ''Drumme ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mouzon, Alphonse 1948 births 2016 deaths Deaths from cancer in California Musicians from Charleston, South Carolina Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) African-American drummers American jazz drummers City College of New York alumni Weather Report members Blue Note Records artists Pausa Records artists Jazz fusion drummers The Eleventh House members 20th-century African-American people 21st-century African-American people