Idris Muhammad

Born Leo Morris in New Orleans, American jazz drummer Idris Muhammad changed his name when he converted to Islam in the 1960s. A talented musician, he enjoyed playing a wide variety of styles of music and had a prolific performing and recording career, appearing on hundreds of albums as a sideman in addition to several as leader. Known for his funky playing style, he began his professional career early with an appearance on Fats Domino's 'Blueberry Hill' (1956). In 1965 he joined Lou Donaldson's band and performed on many of their albums between then and 1981, including 'Fried Buzzard' (1965), 'Blowing in the Wind' (1966), 'Pretty Things' (1970) and 'Cosmos' (1971). He appeared on a string of albums with other artists such as 'Calling Out Loud' with Nat Adderley in 1968, 'Goodies' with George Benson in 1968 and 'Carryin' On' with Grant Green in 1969.

The heart of Muhammad's output was in the 1970s, when the worlds of jazz, funk and R&B converged and he found the music which was the perfect combination of his influences. Albums 'Power of Soul' (1974), 'House of the Rising Sun' (1976) and 'Turn This Mutha Out' (1977) were superb examples of his work as leader, supported by artists such as trumpeter Randy Becker and keyboardist Bob James. He went on to release three more albums as leader in the 1970s, then 'Make It Count' and 'Kabsha' in 1980, 'My Turn' in 1992 and 'Right Now' in 1998.

In the 1990s and 2000s, Muhammad featured on several albums with Ahmad Jamal, including three linked albums titled 'The Essence Part One' (1995), 'Big Byrd: The Essence Part 2' (1995) and 'Nature: The Essence Part Three' (1997). These were followed by 'Picture Perfect' in 2000, 'In Search of Momentum' (2002) and 'It's Magic' (2008) amongst others. In 2010, he performed on the Roberto Magris album 'Mating Call'. He retired in 2011 after a long and industrious career and sadly died in 2014.