Idris Muhammad (; born Leo Morris; November 13, 1939 – July 29, 2014) was an American

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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

drummer A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drums. Most contemporary western music ensemble, bands that play Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, or Contemporary R&B, R&B music include a drummer for purposes including timekeepi ...

and

bandleader A bandleader is the leader of a music group such as a dance band, rock or pop band or jazz quartet. The term is most commonly used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhyth ...

. He had an extensive career performing jazz,

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

, R&B, and

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

music and recorded with musicians such as

Ahmad Jamal Ahmad Jamal (born Frederick Russell Jones; July 2, 1930 – April 16, 2023) was an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader, and educator. For six decades, he was one of the most successful small-group leaders in jazz. He was a NEA Jazz Ma ...

Lou Donaldson Louis Andrew Donaldson Jr. (November 1, 1926 – November 9, 2024) was an American jazz Alto saxophone, alto saxophonist. He was best known for his soulful, bluesy approach to playing the alto saxophone, although in his formative years he was he ...

Pharoah Sanders Pharoah Sanders (born Ferrell Lee Sanders; October 13, 1940 – September 24, 2022) was an American jazz saxophonist. Known for his overblowing, harmonic, and multiphonic techniques on the saxophone, as well as his use of "sheets of sound", San ...

, Bob James, and

Tete Montoliu Vicenç Montoliu i Massana, better known as Tete Montoliu (28 March 1933 – 24 August 1997) was a Spanish jazz pianist from Catalonia, Spain. Born blind, he learnt braille music at age seven. His styles varied from hard bop, through Afro-Cuban, ...

Biography

Born in

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

, Idris Muhammad grew up in the city's 13th Ward in a home next door to a dry cleaner's shop. He later would claim the sound of the shop's steam presser influenced his

hi-hat A hi-hat (hihat, high-hat, etc.) is a combination of two cymbals and a pedal, all mounted on a metal stand. It is a part of the standard drum kit used by drummers in many styles of music including rock music, rock, popular music, pop, jazz, an ...

technique. Growing up, he spent time with fellow New Orleanians

The Neville Brothers The Neville Brothers were an American R&B/soul/funk group, formed in 1976 in New Orleans, Louisiana. History The group notion started in 1976, when the four brothers of the Neville family, Art (1937–2019), Charles (1938–2018), Aaron (b. 19 ...

. Also interested in other instruments, he showed early talent as a percussionist, playing in a Mardi Gras parade at age 9. Muhammad asked Paul Barbarin to teach him to read music but Barbarin, who thought he was already so talented, declined. At the age of 14, Muhammad began his professional career by performing with The Hawketts on their iconic recording " Mardi Gras Mambo". Two years later, in 1956, he played drums on Fats Domino's recording of "

Blueberry Hill "Blueberry Hill" is a popular American song published in 1940 and first recorded and released by Sammy Kaye in 1940 on RCA Victor. It is best remembered for its 1950s rock and roll version by Fats Domino. Glenn Miller peaked at no. 2 on the ' ...

". After being introduced by Joe Jones, Muhammad began touring with

Sam Cooke Samuel Cooke (; January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964) was an American singer and songwriter. Considered one of the most influential soul music, soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred to as the "King of Soul" for his distin ...

. Later he played with

Jerry Butler Jerry Butler Jr. (December 8, 1939 – February 20, 2025) was an American soul singer-songwriter, producer, musician, and politician. He was the original lead singer of the R&B vocal group the Impressions, who were inducted into the Rock and ...

and

Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Dubbed the " Gentle Genius", he is considered one of the most influential musicians of soul and socially conscious Afric ...

in Chicago, working largely in

R'n'B Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...

, before moving to New York City in the mid-1960s. In New York, Muhammad became embedded in the jazz scene playing with

Kenny Dorham McKinley Howard "Kenny" Dorham (August 30, 1924 – December 5, 1972) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and occasional singer. Dorham's talent is frequently lauded by critics and other musicians, but he never received the kind of attention ...

Horace Silver Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silver (September 2, 1928 – June 18, 2014) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger, particularly in the hard bop style that he helped pioneer in the 1950s. After playing tenor saxophone and piano at sch ...

and

Betty Carter Betty Carter (born Lillie Mae Jones; May 16, 1929 – September 26, 1998) was an American jazz singer known for her improvisational technique, scatting and other complex musical abilities that demonstrated her vocal talent and imaginative inter ...

. He also played in the Apollo Theatre's house band. In 1967, he accepted a job in the orchestra for the initial off-Broadway production of ''Hair'' and stayed with the production when it moved to Broadway. During this time, Muhammad was also in the Prestige label's house band and made over 150 recordings for the Prestige,

Blue Note Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue no ...

, and CTI labels among others. He recorded with artists such as Lou Donaldson and

Charles Earland Charles Earland (May 24, 1941 – December 11, 1999) was an American jazz organist. Biography Earland was born in Philadelphia and learned to play the saxophone in high school. He played tenor with Jimmy McGriff at the age of 17 and in 1960 fo ...

who had begun merging jazz with sounds from funk, soul and rock. Muhammad also appeared as a sideman with artists such as

Gene Ammons Eugene "Jug" Ammons (April 14, 1925 – August 6, 1974), also known as "The Boss", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. The son of boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons, Gene Ammons is remembered for his accessible music, steeped in soul and R ...

Nat Adderley Nathaniel Carlyle Adderley (November 25, 1931 – January 2, 2000) was an American 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. It ...

, and

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American jazz fusion guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the ...

Rudy Van Gelder Rudolph Van Gelder (November 2, 1924 – August 25, 2016) was an American recording engineer who specialized in jazz. Over more than half a century, he recorded several thousand sessions, with musicians including Booker Ervin, John Coltrane, Mil ...

often worked with Muhammad and had a special relationship with him. The recording engineer greatly assisted with fine tuning Muhammad's recorded drum sound. After four years with ''Hair'', Muhammad left the production to tour with

Roberta Flack Roberta Cleopatra Flack (February 10, 1937 – February 24, 2025) was an American singer and pianist known for her emotive, genre-blending ballads that spanned R&B, jazz, Folk music, folk, and pop and contributed to the birth of the quiet storm ...

whom he worked with for much of the next decade. Muhammad's first recording as a leader, '' Black Rhythm Revolution!'', was released by Prestige in 1970 and was followed by '' Peace and Rhythm'' in 1971. Both of these albums explored a range of styles and traditions found in jazz and New Orleans rhythms. Subsequent albums released on the

Kudu The kudus are two species of antelope of the genus '' Tragelaphus'': * Lesser kudu, ''Tragelaphus imberbis'', of eastern Africa * Greater kudu, ''Tragelaphus strepsiceros'', of eastern and southern Africa The two species look similar, th ...

imprint, '' Power of Soul'', ''

House of the Rising Sun "The House of the Rising Sun" is an American traditional folk song, sometimes called "Rising Sun Blues". It tells of a person's life gone wrong in the city of New Orleans. Many versions also urge a sibling or parents and children to avoid the ...

'', and '' Turn This Mutha Out,'' took a turn towards funk. These albums have subsequently become favourites of funk enthusiasts and have been heavily sampled by hip-hop artists. Towards the end of the 1970s, Muhammad joined Johnny Griffin's band and also spent time playing with

. By the 1980s, Muhammad had moved to Europe. He continued to regularly play and record, collaborating with the likes of

, Chico Freeman and

Sonny Rollins Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American retired jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, Rollins recorded over sixt ...

. In 2011 he moved back to New Orleans. He died of kidney failure in 2014, aged 74, and was buried according to Islamic burial traditions in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Personal life

He changed his name to Idris Muhammad in the 1960s upon his conversion to

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

. Speaking on his name change, he later noted in an interview with Modern Drummer magazine, "One guy told me that if I changed my name, I was going to have a problem because no one would know that Leo Morris and Idris Muhammad were the same guy...But I thought, well, if I stay the same person, then people will know it's me. And it worked like that. Everybody knew right away that it was me, because of my style of playing." In 1966, he married singer Dolores "LaLa" Brooks, a former member of the Crystals. She converted to

with him and went for a time by the name Sakinah Muhammad. They separated in 1999. Together, they had two sons and two daughters; he also had a daughter from his first marriage to Gracie Lee Edwards. One son, also named Idris Muhammed, is a professional chef who has appeared on several cooking competition shows including '' Beat Bobby Flay'' and '' Chopped''. Muhammad endorsed

Istanbul Agop Cymbals Istanbul Agop Cymbals is a cymbal producer based in Turkey. Its products are well respected for their unique sound, which is formed by the method and the alloy used, the formula of which is known only to the owners of the firm, Armenians Arman an ...

Discography

As leader

* '' Black Rhythm Revolution!'' (1970) * '' Peace and Rhythm'' (1971) * '' Power of Soul'' (1974) * ''

'' (1976) * '' Turn This Mutha Out'' (1977) * ''Boogie to the Top'' (1978) * ''You Ain't No Friend of Mine'' (1978) * ''Foxhuntin' '' (1979) * ''Make It Count'' (1980) * '' Kabsha'' (1980) * ''My Turn'' (1992) * ''Right Now'' (1998)

As sideman

With

'' * '' Calling Out Loud'' (CTI, 1968) With Eric Alexander * '' Solid!'' (Milestone, 1998) With

* '' The Black Cat!'' (Prestige, 1970) * '' You Talk That Talk!'' (Prestige, 1971) * ''

My Way "My Way" is Paul Anka's English-language lyrical adaptation of the French song " Comme d'habitude", released by Frank Sinatra in 1969. The original song was written by Jacques Revaux, Gilles Thibaut, and Claude François, and was first recor ...

'' (Prestige, 1971) * '' Got My Own'' (Prestige, 1972) * '' Big Bad Jug'' (Prestige, 1972) With

* '' Goodies'' (Verve, 1968) * '' Tell It Like It Is'' (A&M, 1969) * '' The Other Side of Abbey Road'' (A&M, 1969) With Walter Bishop, Jr. * '' Bish Bash'' (Xanadu, 1968 975 * '' Coral Keys'' (Black Jazz, 1971) With Bobby Broom * ''Modern Man'' (Delmark, 2001) With Rusty Bryant * '' Soul Liberation'' (Prestige, 1970) * ''

Fire Eater Fire eating is the act of putting a flaming object into the mouth and extinguishing it. A fire eater can be an entertainer, a street performer, part of a sideshow or a circus act but has also been part of spiritual tradition in India. Physi ...

'' (Prestige, 1971) * ''

Wild Fire A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a bushfire ( in Australia), desert ...

'' (Prestige, 1971) With

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

* '' Fancy Free'' (Blue Note, 1969) With

George Coleman George Edward Coleman (born March 8, 1935) is an American jazz saxophonist known for his work with Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock in the 1960s. In 2015, he was named an NEA Jazz Master. Early life Coleman was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He was ...

* '' Manhattan Panorama'' (Theresa, 1985) With

Hank Crawford Bennie Ross "Hank" Crawford, Jr. (December 21, 1934 – January 29, 2009) was an American alto saxophonist, pianist, arranger and songwriter whose genres ranged from R&B, hard bop, jazz-funk, and soul jazz. Crawford was musical director for ...

* ''

Help Me Make it Through the Night "Help Me Make It Through the Night" is a country ballad written and composed by Kris Kristofferson and released on his 1970 album '' Kristofferson''. It was covered later in 1970 by Sammi Smith, on the album '' Help Me Make It Through the Nig ...

'' (Kudu, 1972) * ''

Wildflower A wildflower (or wild flower) is a flower that grows in the wild, rather than being intentionally seeded or planted. The term implies that the plant is neither a hybrid nor a selected cultivar that is any different from the native plant, eve ...

'' (Kudu, 1973) * '' I Hear a Symphony'' (Kudu, 1975) * ''

Tight Tight may refer to: Clothing * Skin-tight garment, a garment that is held to the skin by elastic tension * Tights, a type of leg coverings fabric extending from the waist to feet * Tightlacing, the practice of wearing a tightly-laced corset ...

'' (Milestone, 1996) With Art Davis * ''

Life Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...

'' (Soul Note, 1986) With

Paul Desmond Paul Desmond (born Paul Emil Breitenfeld; November 25, 1924 – May 30, 1977) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and composer and proponent of cool jazz. He was a member of the Dave Brubeck Quartet and composed the group's biggest hit, " ...

* '' Summertime'' (A&M/CTI, 1968) With

Fats Domino Antoine Caliste Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American singer-songwriter and pianist. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New Orl ...

* ''Blueberry Hill'' (1965) With

* '' Fried Buzzard'' (

Cadet A cadet is a student or trainee within various organisations, primarily in military contexts where individuals undergo training to become commissioned officers. However, several civilian organisations, including civil aviation groups, maritime ...

, 1965) * '' Blowing in the Wind'' (Cadet, 1966) * '' Alligator Bogaloo'' (

, 1967) * '' Mr. Shing-A-Ling'' (Blue Note, 1967) * '' Midnight Creeper'' (Blue Note, 1968) * '' Say It Loud!'' (Blue Note, 1968) * ''

Hot Dog A hot dog is a grilled, steamed, or boiled sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced bun. The term ''hot dog'' can also refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener ( Vienna sausage) or a frankfurter ( Frankfurter Würs ...

'' (Blue Note, 1969) * '' Everything I Play is Funky'' (Blue Note, 1970) * ''

Pretty Things Pretty Things were an English Rock music, rock band formed in September 1963 in Sidcup, Kent, taking their name from Bo Diddley's 1955 song "Pretty Thing", and active in their first incarnation until 1971. They released five studio albums, i ...

'' (Blue Note, 1970) * '' The Scorpion'' (Blue Note, 1970) * ''

Cosmos The cosmos (, ; ) is an alternative name for the universe or its nature or order. Usage of the word ''cosmos'' implies viewing the universe as a complex and orderly system or entity. The cosmos is studied in cosmologya broad discipline covering ...

'' (Blue Note, 1971) * '' Sweet Poppa Lou'' (

Muse In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Muses (, ) were the Artistic inspiration, inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric p ...

, 1981) With

* '' Black Talk!'' (Prestige, 1969) With

Grant Green Grant Green (June 6, 1935 – January 31, 1979) was an American jazz guitarist and composer. Green has been called one of the "most sampled guitarists." Biography Grant Green was born on June 6, 1935, in St. Louis, Missouri, to John and ...

* '' Carryin' On'' (Blue Note, 1969) * '' Green Is Beautiful'' (Blue Note, 1970) * '' Alive!'' (Blue Note, 1970) * '' Live at Club Mozambique'' (Blue Note 2006, recorded 1971) With

Johnny Griffin John Arnold Griffin III (April 24, 1928 – July 25, 2008) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Nicknamed "the Little Giant" for his short stature and forceful playing, Griffin's career began in the mid-1940s and continued until the month of ...

* '' NYC Underground'' (Galaxy, 1979 981 * '' To the Ladies'' (Galaxy, 1979

982 Year 982 ( CMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – Emperor Otto II (the Red) assembles an imperial expeditionary force at Taranto, and proceeds along the gulf coas ...

With

Roy Hargrove Roy Anthony Hargrove (October 16, 1969 – November 2, 2018) was an American jazz musician and composer whose principal instruments were the trumpet and flugelhorn. He achieved critical acclaim after winning two Grammy Awards for differing styles ...

* '' Habana'' (Verve, 1997) With Benjamin Herman * ''Get In'' (1999) With

John Hicks Sir John Richard Hicks (8 April 1904 – 20 May 1989) was a British economist. He is considered one of the most important and influential economists of the twentieth century. The most familiar of his many contributions in the field of economics ...

* '' Some Other Time'' (Theresa, 1981) * '' In Concert'' (Theresa, 1984 986 * '' Inc. 1'' (DIW, 1985) * '' I'll Give You Something to Remember Me By'' (Limetree, 1987) * '' Is That So?'' (Timeless, 1991) With Andrew Hill * ''

Grass Roots A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or continent movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from volunteers at the local level to imp ...

'' (Blue Note, 1968) With Richard "Groove" Holmes * '' Shippin' Out'' (Muse, 1978) With

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 ...

* '' New Colors'' (Hip Bop Essence, 2001) With

Bobbi Humphrey Barbara Ann "Bobbi" Humphrey (born April 25, 1950) is an American jazz flautist and singer. She has recorded twelve albums over the course of her career, mostly playing jazz fusion, funk, and soul-jazz. In 1971, she was the first female instrume ...

* '' Flute-In'' (Blue Note, 1971) With Willis Jackson * '' Bar Wars'' (Muse, 1977) With

* '' The Essence Part One'' (Birdology, 1995) * '' Big Byrd: The Essence Part 2'' (Birdology, 1995) * '' Nature: The Essence Part Three'' (Birdology, 1997) * ''Picture Perfect'' (Birdology, 2000) * ''Ahmad Jamal 70th Birthday/Olympia 2000'' (Dreyfus, 2000) * ''In Search of Momentum'' (Dreyfus, 2002) * ''After Fajr'' (Dreyfus, 2005) * ''It's Magic'' (Dreyfus, 2008) With Bob James * ''

One 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

'' (CTI, 1974) * ''

Touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...

'' (Tappan Zee, 1978) With J. J. Johnson and

Kai Winding Kai Chresten Winding ( ; May 18, 1922 – May 6, 1983) was a Danish-born American trombonist and jazz composer. He is known for his collaborations with fellow trombonist J. J. Johnson. His version of " More", the theme from the movie ''Mondo Ca ...

* ''

Betwixt & Between ''Betwixt & Between'' is an album by American jazz trombonists Kai Winding and J. J. Johnson featuring performances recorded in 1968 and released on the CTI label.

'' (A&M/CTI, 1969) With

Etta Jones Etta Jones (November 25, 1928 – October 16, 2001) was an American jazz singer. Her best-known recordings are "Don't Go to Strangers" and "Save Your Love for Me". She worked with Buddy Johnson, Oliver Nelson, Earl Hines, Barney Bigard, Gene Ammo ...

* '' My Mother's Eyes'' (Muse, 1977) * '' If You Could See Me Now'' (Muse, 1978) With Rodney Jones * ''Soul Manifesto'' (1991) With Keystone Trio * '' Heart Beats'' (1995) * '' Newklear Music'' (1997) With

Charles Kynard Charles Kynard (20 February 1933 – 8 July 1979) was an American soul jazz/acid jazz organist born in St. Louis, Missouri. Kynard first played piano then switched to organ and led a trio in Kansas City, Missouri, Kansas City including Tex J ...

* ''

Wa-Tu-Wa-Zui (Beautiful People) ''Wa-Tu-Wa-Zui (Beautiful People)'' is an album by organist Charles Kynard which was recorded in 1970 and released on the Prestige label.

'' (Prestige, 1970) With

Joe Lovano Joseph Salvatore Lovano (born December 29, 1952)"Joe Lovano." ''Contemporary Musicians''. Vol. 13. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 1994. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, May 5, 2017. is an American jazz multi-instrumentalist. T ...

* ''

Friendly Fire In military terminology, friendly fire or fratricide is an attack by belligerent or neutral forces on friendly troops while attempting to attack enemy or hostile targets. Examples include misidentifying the target as hostile, cross-fire while ...

'' (Blue Note, 1998) * '' Flights of Fancy: Trio Fascination Edition Two'' (Blue Note, 2000) With

Johnny Lytle John “Johnny” Dillard Lytle (October 13, 1932 in Springfield, Ohio – December 15, 1995 in Springfield) was an American jazz drummer and vibraphonist. Life and career Lytle grew up in Springfield, Ohio in a family of musicians, the son o ...

* '' Fast Hands'' (Muse, 1980) * '' Good Vibes'' (Muse, 1982) With Harold Mabern * '' Workin' & Wailin''' (Prestige, 1969) * '' Greasy Kid Stuff!'' (Prestige, 1970) With

Roberto Magris Roberto Magris (born 19 June 1959) is an Italian jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. Early life Magris was born in Trieste, Italy, on 19 June 1959. He had piano lessons between the ages of four and sixteen. He became interested in jazz aft ...

* ''

Mating Call A mating call is the auditory signal used by animals to attract mates. It can occur in males or females, but literature is abundantly favored toward researching mating calls in females. In addition, mating calls are often the subject of mate choi ...

'' (JMood, 2010) With

Jimmy McGriff James Harrell McGriff (April 3, 1936 – May 24, 2008) was an American hard bop and soul-jazz organist and organ trio bandleader. Biography Early years and influences Born in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, McGriff started playing pia ...

* ''

City Lights ''City Lights'' is a 1931 American synchronized sound film, sound romance film, romantic comedy drama, comedy-drama film written, produced, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. While the film has no audible dialog, it was released with a ...

'' (JAM, 1981) With

* '' Catalonian Rhapsody'' (Alfa, 1992) With Tisziji Munoz * ''Visiting This Planet'' (Anami Music * ''Hearing Voices'' (Anami Music) With

David "Fathead" Newman David "Fathead" Newman (February 24, 1933 – January 20, 2009) was an American jazz and rhythm-and-blues saxophonist, who made numerous recordings as a session musician and leader, but is best known for his work as a sideman on seminal 1950s an ...

* '' Concrete Jungle'' (Prestige, 1978) * '' Keep the Dream Alive'' (Prestige, 1978) With Don Patterson * '' Why Not...'' (Muse, 1978) With

Houston Person Houston Person (born November 10, 1934) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and record producer. Although he has performed in the hard bop and swing music, swing genres, he is most experienced in and best known for his work in soul jazz. He re ...

* '' Person to Person!'' (Prestige, 1970) * '' The Real Thing'' (Eastbound, 1973) * '' Wild Flower'' (Muse, 1977) With

Ernest Ranglin Ernest Ranglin (born 19 June 1932) is a Jamaican guitarist and composer who established his career while working as a session guitarist and music director for various Jamaican record labels, including Studio One and Island Records. Ranglin pl ...

* ''Below the Bassline'' (

Island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...

, 1998) With Roots * ''Stablemates'' (In+Out, 1993) With

* '' Jewels of Thought'' ( Impulse!, 1969) * '' Journey to the One'' (Theresa, 1980) * '' Pharoah Sanders Live...'' (Theresa, 1982) * '' Heart is a Melody'' (Theresa, 1982) * '' Shukuru'' (Theresa, 1985) * ''

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

'' (Timeless, 1987) With

* '' That Healin' Feelin''' (Blue Note, 1970) With

John Scofield John Scofield (born December 26, 1951) is an American guitarist and composer. His music over a long career has blended jazz, jazz fusion, funk, blues, soul and rock. He first came to mainstream attention as part of the band of Miles Davis; he ...

* '' Groove Elation'' (Blue Note, 1995) With

Shirley Scott Shirley Scott (March 14, 1934 – March 10, 2002) was an American jazz organist. Her music was noted for its mixture of bebop, blues, and gospel elements. She was known by the nickname "Queen of the Organ". Life and career Scott was born in P ...

* '' Lean on Me'' (Cadet, 1972) With Lonnie Smith * '' Turning Point'' (Blue Note, 1969) With

Melvin Sparks Melvin Sparks (March 22, 1946 – March 15, 2011) was an American soul jazz, hard bop and jazz blues guitarist. He recorded a number of albums for Prestige Records, later recording for Savant Records. He appeared on several recordings with mu ...

* '' Sparks!'' (Prestige, 1970) * ''

Spark Plug A spark plug (sometimes, in British English, a sparking plug, and, colloquially, a plug) is a device for delivering electric current from an ignition system to the combustion chamber of a spark-ignition engine to ignite the compressed fuel/air ...

'' (Prestige, 1971) * '' Akilah!'' (Prestige, 1972) With Leon Spencer * '' Sneak Preview!'' (Prestige, 1970) * '' Louisiana Slim'' (Prestige, 1971) * '' Bad Walking Woman'' (Prestige, 1972) * '' Where I'm Coming From'' (Prestige, 1972) With Bob Stewart * '' First Line'' (JMT, 1988) With

Sonny Stitt Sonny Stitt (born Edward Hammond Boatner Jr.; February 2, 1924 – July 22, 1982) was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop/hard bop idiom. Known for his warm tone, he was one of the best-documented saxophonists of his era, recording over ...

* '' Turn It On!'' (Prestige, 1971) * '' Black Vibrations'' (Prestige, 1971) * '' Goin' Down Slow'' (Prestige, 1972) With

Gábor Szabó Gábor István Szabó (March 8, 1936 – February 26, 1982) was a Hungarian-American guitarist whose style incorporated jazz, pop, rock, and Music of Hungary, Hungarian music. Early years Szabó was born in Budapest, Budapest, Hungary. He bega ...

* ''

Macho Machismo (; ; ; ) is the sense of being " manly" and self-reliant, a concept associated with "a strong sense of masculine pride: an exaggerated masculinity". Machismo is a term originating in the early 1940s and 1950s and its use more wi ...

'' (Salvation, 1975) With

Stanley Turrentine Stanley William Turrentine (April 5, 1934 – September 12, 2000) was an American jazz tenor saxophone, tenor saxophonist and record producer. He began his career playing R&B for Earl Bostic and later soul jazz recording for the Blue Note Reco ...

* '' Common Touch'' (Blue Note, 1968) * '' Don't Mess with Mister T.'' (CTI, BGO Records, Sony 1973) * '' The Sugar Man'' (CTI, BGO Records, Sony 1975) * '' The Man with the Sad Face'' (Fantasy, 1976) With

Randy Weston Randolph Edward "Randy" Weston (April 6, 1926 – September 1, 2018) was an American jazz pianist and composer whose creativity was inspired by his ancestral African connection. Weston's piano style owed much to Duke Ellington and Thelonious M ...

* ''Portraits of Duke Ellington'' (Verve, 1989) * ''Portraits of Thelonious Monk'' (Verve, 1989) * ''Self Portraits'' (Verve, 1989) * '' Spirits of Our Ancestors'' (Verve, 1991) With Reuben Wilson * '' Love Bug'' (Blue Note, 1969)

Sampled

Beastie Boys The Beastie Boys were an American Hip-hop, hip hop and Rap rock, rap rock group formed in New York City in 1979. They were composed of Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Mike D, ...

, '' Paul's Boutique'', " To All the Girls" (Capitol, 1989)

References

External links

Interview in Allaboutjazz

{{DEFAULTSORT:Muhammad, Idris 1939 births 2014 deaths African-American drummers American funk drummers American male drummers American jazz drummers Jazz musicians from New Orleans African-American Muslims Soul-jazz musicians Converts to Islam Prestige Records artists Fantasy Records artists American session musicians American expatriates in Austria American expatriates in the United Kingdom American male jazz musicians CTI Records artists 20th-century African-American musicians 21st-century African-American musicians Muslims from Louisiana Drummers from New Orleans