Idris Muhammad (; born Leo Morris; November 13, 1939 – July 29, 2014) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He had an extensive career performing jazz, funk, R&B, and soul music and recorded with musicians such as Ahmad Jamal, Lou Donaldson, Pharoah Sanders, Bob James, and Tete Montoliu.

Biography

Born in New Orleans, 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 technique.

Growing up, he spent time with fellow New Orleanians The Neville Brothers. Also interested in other instruments, he showed early talent as a percussionist, playing in a Mardi Gras parade at age 9.

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".

After being introduced by Joe Jones, Muhammad began touring with Sam Cooke. Later he played with Jerry Butler and Curtis Mayfield in Chicago, working largely in R'n'B, before moving to New York City in the mid-1960s.

By the 1980s, Muhammad had moved to Europe. He continued to regularly play and record, collaborating with the likes of Ahmad Jamal, Chico Freeman and Sonny Rollins. 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.

Discography

As leader

  • Black Rhythm Revolution! (1970)
  • Peace and Rhythm (1971)
  • Power of Soul (1974)
  • House of the Rising Sun (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 Nat Adderley

  • Calling Out Loud (CTI, 1968)

With Eric Alexander

  • Solid! (Milestone, 1998)

With Gene Ammons

  • The Black Cat! (Prestige, 1970)
  • You Talk That Talk! (Prestige, 1971)
  • My Way (Prestige, 1971)
  • Got My Own (Prestige, 1972)
  • Big Bad Jug (Prestige, 1972)

With George Benson

  • 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 [1975])
  • Coral Keys (Black Jazz, 1971)

With Bobby Broom

  • Modern Man (Delmark, 2001)

With Rusty Bryant

  • Soul Liberation (Prestige, 1970)
  • Fire Eater (Prestige, 1971)
  • Wild Fire (Prestige, 1971)

With Donald Byrd

  • Fancy Free (Blue Note, 1969)

With George Coleman

  • Manhattan Panorama (Theresa, 1985)

With Hank Crawford

  • Help Me Make it Through the Night (Kudu, 1972)
  • Wildflower (Kudu, 1973)
  • I Hear a Symphony (Kudu, 1975)
  • Tight (Milestone, 1996)

With Art Davis

  • Life (Soul Note, 1986)

With Paul Desmond

  • Summertime (A&M/CTI, 1968)

With Fats Domino

  • Blueberry Hill (1965)

With Lou Donaldson

  • Fried Buzzard (Cadet, 1965)
  • Blowing in the Wind (Cadet, 1966)
  • Alligator Bogaloo (Blue Note, 1967)
  • Mr. Shing-A-Ling (Blue Note, 1967)
  • Midnight Creeper (Blue Note, 1968)
  • Say It Loud! (Blue Note, 1968)
  • Hot Dog (Blue Note, 1969)
  • Everything I Play is Funky (Blue Note, 1970)
  • Pretty Things (Blue Note, 1970)
  • The Scorpion (Blue Note, 1970)
  • Cosmos (Blue Note, 1971)
  • Sweet Poppa Lou (Muse, 1981)

With Charles Earland

  • Black Talk! (Prestige, 1969)

With Grant Green

  • 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

  • NYC Underground (Galaxy, 1979 [1981])
  • To the Ladies (Galaxy, 1979 [1982])

With Roy Hargrove

  • Habana (Verve, 1997)

With Benjamin Herman

  • Get In (1999)

With John Hicks

  • Some Other Time (Theresa, 1981)
  • In Concert (Theresa, 1984 [1986])
  • 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 (Blue Note, 1968)

With Richard "Groove" Holmes

  • Shippin' Out (Muse, 1978)

With Freddie Hubbard

  • New Colors (Hip Bop Essence, 2001)

With Bobbi Humphrey

  • Flute-In (Blue Note, 1971)

With Willis Jackson

  • Bar Wars (Muse, 1977)

With Ahmad Jamal

  • 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 (CTI, 1974)
  • Touchdown (Tappan Zee, 1978)

With J. J. Johnson and Kai Winding

  • Betwixt & Between (A&M/CTI, 1969)

With Etta Jones

  • 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

  • Wa-Tu-Wa-Zui (Beautiful People) (Prestige, 1970)

With Joe Lovano

  • Friendly Fire (Blue Note, 1998)
  • Flights of Fancy: Trio Fascination Edition Two (Blue Note, 2000)

With Johnny Lytle

  • Fast Hands (Muse, 1980)
  • Good Vibes (Muse, 1982)

With Harold Mabern

  • Workin' & Wailin (Prestige, 1969)
  • Greasy Kid Stuff! (Prestige, 1970)

With Roberto Magris

  • Mating Call (JMood, 2010)

With Jimmy McGriff

  • City Lights (JAM, 1981)

With Tete Montoliu

  • Catalonian Rhapsody (Alfa, 1992)

With Tisziji Munoz

  • Visiting This Planet (Anami Music
  • Hearing Voices (Anami Music)

With David "Fathead" Newman

  • Concrete Jungle (Prestige, 1978)
  • Keep the Dream Alive (Prestige, 1978)

With Don Patterson

  • Why Not... (Muse, 1978)

With Houston Person

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

With Ernest Ranglin

  • Below the Bassline (Island, 1998)

With Roots

  • Stablemates (In+Out, 1993)

With Pharoah Sanders

  • 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 (Timeless, 1987)

With Horace Silver

  • That Healin' Feelin (Blue Note, 1970)

With John Scofield

  • Groove Elation (Blue Note, 1995)

With Shirley Scott

  • Lean on Me (Cadet, 1972)

With Lonnie Smith

  • Turning Point (Blue Note, 1969)

With Melvin Sparks

  • Sparks! (Prestige, 1970)
  • Spark Plug (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

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

With Gábor Szabó

  • Macho (Salvation, 1975)

With Stanley Turrentine

  • 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

  • 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)
  • Grover Washington Jr.. (Motown, 1980)
  • Skylarkin

Sampled

  • Beastie Boys, Paul's Boutique, "To All the Girls" (Capitol, 1989)
  • The song "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This" by Idris Muhammad has been sampled by artists including Jamie XX and Chrome Sparks, and in the song "Blow Up" by Ta-Ku.

References

  • Interview in Allaboutjazz
  • Artist and album page of Lipstick Records