Ronald Muldrow (February 2, 1949, in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

– January 31, 2007, in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

) was an American

soul jazz Soul jazz or funky jazz is a subgenre of jazz that incorporates strong influences from hard bop, blues, soul, gospel and rhythm and blues. Soul jazz is often characterized by organ trios featuring the Hammond organ and small combos including sa ...

and

hard bop Hard bop is a subgenre of jazz that is an extension of bebop (or "bop") music. Journalists and record companies began using the term in the mid-1950s to describe a new current within jazz that incorporated influences from rhythm and blues, gospe ...

jazz guitarist Jazz guitarists are guitarists who play jazz using an approach to chords, melodies, and improvised solo lines that is called jazz guitar playing. The guitar has fulfilled the roles of accompanist (rhythm guitar) and soloist in small and large ens ...

. As an emerging jazz guitarist in the early 1970s, Muldrow connected with soul-jazz saxophonist

Eddie Harris Eddie Harris (October 20, 1934 – November 5, 1996) was an American jazz musician, best known for playing tenor saxophone and for introducing the electrically amplified saxophone. He was also fluent on the electric piano and organ. His best-k ...

and contributed to many of his

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

albums from 1971 to 1976 and reunited with the saxophonist on ''Listen Here'' (1982). A teenage Muldrow heard jazz guitarist

Wes Montgomery John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery (March 6, 1923 – June 15, 1968) was an American jazz guitarist. Montgomery was known for his unusual technique of plucking the strings with the side of his thumb and for his extensive use of octaves, which gave him a ...

play "Canadian Sunset" on the radio and was captivated. His first big-time gig was with the

Staple Singers The Staple Singers were an American gospel, soul, and R&B singing group. Roebuck "Pops" Staples (December 28, 1914 – December 19, 2000), the patriarch of the family, formed the group with his children Cleotha (April 11, 1934 – February 2 ...

, a gospel group. He also taught at various colleges and had published guitar-instruction books. Muldrow began forming bands in high school and earned a bachelor's in jazz studies from

Roosevelt University Roosevelt University is a private university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1945, the university was named in honor of United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The university enrolls arou ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

and a master's in studio and jazz guitar from the

USC Thornton School of Music The USC Thornton School of Music is a private music school in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1884 only four years after the University of Southern California, the Thornton School is the oldest continually operating arts institution in Los An ...

. Musician

Georgia Anne Muldrow Georgia Anne Muldrow (born 1983) is an American soul and hip hop singer, producer, and songwriter from Los Angeles. In 2008, she co-founded the SomeOthaShip Connect record label with fellow artist and former husband Dudley Perkins. Life and car ...

is his daughter.

Discography

As leader

* ''Yesterdays'' (Enja, 1993) * ''Diaspora'' (Enja, 1995) * ''Facing Wes'' (

Kokopelli Kokopelli () is a fertility deity, usually depicted as a humpbacked flute player (often with feathers or antenna-like protrusions on his head), who is venerated by some Native American cultures in the Southwestern United States. Like most fe ...

, 1996) * ''Freedom's Serenade'' (

Double-Time Double-Time Records (a.k.a. Double-Time Jazz) is a jazz record company and label founded by Jamey D. Aebersold in New Albany, Indiana in 1995. Its catalogue includes albums by John Abercrombie, Bruce Barth, Jerry Bergonzi, Conrad Herwig, And ...

, 1999) * ''Mapenzi'' (Joh-Bev, 2003)

As sideman

With

* '' Instant Death'' (Atlantic, 1972) * '' Eddie Harris Sings the Blues'' (Atlantic, 1972) * '' Excursions'' (Atlantic, 1973) * ''

Is It In ''Is It In'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist Eddie Harris recorded in 1973 and released on the Atlantic label.

'' (Atlantic, 1974) * ''

Bad Luck Is All I Have ''Bad Luck Is All I Have'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist Eddie Harris recorded in 1974 and 1975 and released on the Atlantic Records, Atlantic label.

'' (Atlantic, 1975) * '' I Need Some Money'' (Atlantic, 1975) * ''

That Is Why You're Overweight ''That Is Why You're Overweight'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist Eddie Harris recorded in 1975 and released on the Atlantic label.

'' (Atlantic, 1975) * ''

The Reason Why I'm Talking S--t ''The Reason Why I'm Talking S—t'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist Eddie Harris recorded in 1975 and released on the Atlantic label.

'' (Atlantic, 1976) * '' How Can You Live Like That?'' (Atlantic, 1977) * ''Listen Here!'' (Enja, 1993) * ''Dancing By A Rainbow'' (Enja, 1996) With others *

Les DeMerle Lester William DeMerle (born November 4, 1946, Brooklyn) is an American jazz drummer, vocalist, and bandleader. Career DeMerle first picked up drums at age ten. He studied drums and percussion with Bob Livingstone in New York from 1960 to 1965, ...

, ''Concerts by the Sea'' (Bar T, 1978) * Les DeMerle, ''Transcendental Watusi!'' (United National, 1979) *

Hubert Laws Hubert Laws (born November 10, 1939) is an American flutist, piccoloist and saxophonist with a career spanning over 50 years in jazz, classical, and other music genres. Laws is one of the few classical artists who has also mastered jazz, pop ...

, ''Family'' (Columbia, 1980) *

Phil Perry Philip Eugene Perry (born January 12, 1952) is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B singer, songwriter, musician and a former member of the soul group, The Montclairs, from 1971 to 1975. He was also known for performing the opening song to Disney� ...

, ''My Book of Love'' (Private Music, 2000) *

Sweet Baby J'ai J'ai J. Michel, known professionally as Sweet Baby J'ai, is an American contemporary jazz singer, songwriter, producer, arranger, and playwright. Background She grew up in Kansas City. She wrote songs at age of five and three years later mana ...

, ''Evolution'' (Sunset Music, 2002) *

Luther Thomas image:Dizzazz.jpg, 200px, Dizzazz in June 1981. From left to right : Luther Thomas (as), Danny Petroni (g), Donald Nicks (bass), Marvin Neal (tb), Warren Benbow (drums), John K. Mulkerin (tp) and Billy "Spaceman" Paterson (g) Luther Thomas was an ...

, ''Yo' Momma'' (Moers, 1981)

References

External links

Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Muldrow, Ronald 1949 births 2007 deaths Guitarists from Chicago USC Thornton School of Music alumni California State Polytechnic University, Pomona alumni California State Polytechnic University, Pomona faculty Roosevelt University alumni American jazz guitarists Hard bop guitarists Soul-jazz guitarists 20th-century American guitarists Jazz musicians from Illinois Double-Time Records artists Enja Records artists