Idris Muhammad - Turn This Mutha Out (1977/2016) [Official Digital Download 24/192]

A great late 70s chapter in the career of funky drummer Idris Muhammad – moving into very different territory here than his early soul jazz with Lou Donaldson, and even his earliest solo material too! David Matthews arranged the tracks, and he's given them a slick but soulful sound, with lots of spacey fusion elements, and a nice funky soul vibe that's a bit similar to some of Larry Mizell's work stretched out in this great mix of grooves and deeper jazzier elements even at a level that's hipper than Matthews' usual material from the time. Idris is at the core on percussion and the lineup also includes Jeremy Steig on flute, Eric Gale on guitar, Randy Brecker on trumpet, and Wilbur Bascomb on bass and titles include the seminal "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This", plus "Cambay Bolongo", "Tasty Cakes", "Crab Apple", "Moon Hymn", and "Say What".

Idris Muhammad ventures into the world of pop and R&B, annoying die-hard jazz fans. Limp and uninspired vocals hurt "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This," but the track is good and could have stood alone with instrument(s) replacing the vocal parts. If you like African rhythms underneath a haunting flute, then you'll love "Camby Bolongo" Sue Evans supplies percussions and Randy Brecker provides a searing trumpet solo.

"Turn this Mutha Out" offers some dynamic interplay between Bascomb's funky bass vamp and Bullock's compelling guitar work. The tune landed on the R&B chart in the States and got considerable airplay in Britain. "Tasty Cakes" uses the same lineup including complementary musicians as "Mutha." "Crab Apple," aided by Michael Brecker's tenor sax, jams; the midtempo strut is nasty, particularly when Carter works his synthesizer. "Moon Hymn" is a duo tempo head tune that nods at War's "Slipping Into Darkness." Eric Gale is the guitarist on "Say What," a fusion of jazz and funk. Muhammad never solos, he didn't write any of the songs, he didn't arrange any, and he didn't produce, but that eternally funky, break-heavy drumming makes this an album only he could have recorded.

Tracklist:

01. Could Heaven Ever Be Like This
02. Camby Bolongo
03. Turn This Mutha Out
04. Tasty Cakes
05. Crab Apple
06. Moon Hymn
07. Say What

Personnel:

Idris Muhammad - drums, tom tom
Wilbur Bascomb - bass
Hiram Bullock - guitar solo
Eric Gale - guitar solo
Charlie Brown, Hugh McCracken - guitar
Rubens Bassini, Sue Evans - percussion
Michael Brecker - tenor saxophone solo
Ronnie Cuber - baritone saxophone
David Tofani - soprano saxophone
Cliff Carter - keyboards, synthesizer solo
Randy Brecker, Jon Faddis - trumpet
Margaret Ross - harp
Frank Floyd - vocal solo
Jeremy Steig - flute solo
Bill Eaton, Zachary Sanders, Ray Simpson - background vocals
David Matthews - arranger, composer



All thanks go to the original releaser