George Benson - The Other Side of Abbey Road (1970)

Just three weeks after the U.S. release of the Beatles' swan song, Abbey Road, Creed Taylor ushered George Benson into the studio to begin a remarkably successful pop-jazz translation of the record (complete with a parody of the famous cover, showing Benson with guitar crossing an Eastern urban street). It is a lyrical album, with a hint of the mystery and a lot of the cohesive concept of the Beatles' original despite the scrambled order of the tunes. Benson is given some room to stretch out on guitar, sometimes in a bluesy groove, and there are more samples of his honeyed vocals than ever before (oddly, his voice would not be heard again by record-buyers until he signed with Warner Bros.). Don Sebesky's arrangements roam freely from baroque strings to a full-throated big band, and Freddie Hubbard, Sonny Fortune, and Hubert Laws get some worthy solo space. Yet for all its diversity, the record fits together as a whole more tightly than any other George Benson project, thanks to his versatile talents and the miraculous overarching unity of the Beatles' songs. One wonders if the Fab Four liked it, too.

By Richard S. Ginell in All Music Guide

Style:
Crossover-Jazz
Jazz Pop
Guitar Jazz

Tracks:
01 - Golden Slumbers/ You Never Give Me Your Money (04:48)
02 - Because / Come Together (07:23)
03 - Oh! Darling (03:59)
04 - Here Comes the Sun / I Want You (She's So Heavy) (09:02)
05 - Something / Octopus's Garden / The End (06:23)

Line-up:
George Benson – guitar, vocal
Herbie Hancock - piano, organ, harpsichord
Ernie Hayes - piano
Bob James - piano
Ron Carter - Bass guitar
Gerry Jemmott - Bass guitar
Idris Muhammad - drums
Ed Shaughnessy - drums
Ray Barretto - percussion
Andy Gonzalez - percussion
Wayne Andre - trombone, euphonium
Don Ashworth - baritone saxophone
Sonny Fortune - alto saxophone
Jerome Richardson - tenor saxophone, clarinet, flute
Mel Davis - trumpet, flugelhorn
Bernie Glow - trumpet
Freddie Hubbard - trumpet
Marvin Stamm - trumpet
Phil Bodner - flute, oboe
Hubert Laws - flute
Raoul Poliakin - violin
Max Pollikoff - violin
George Ricci - cello
Emanuel Vardi - viola

Charles Earland - Black Talk! (1969)

This CD reissue of a Prestige date is one of the few successful examples of jazz musicians from the late '60s taking a few rock and pop songs and turning them into creative jazz. Organist Charles Earland and his sextet, which includes trumpeter Virgil Jones, Houston Person, on tenor and guitarist Melvin Sparks, perform a variation of "Eleanor Rigby" titled "Black Talk," two originals, a surprisingly effective rendition of "Aquarius," and a classic rendition of "More Today Than Yesterday." Fans of organ combos are advised to pick up this interesting set.

By Scott Yanow in All Music Guide

Styles:
Jazz Funk
Soul

Tracks:
01 - Black Talk (07:50)
02 - The Mighty Burner (03:04)
03 - Here Comes Charlie (08:18)
04 - Aquarius (08:02)
05 - More Today Than Yesterday (11:13)

Line-up:
Charles Earland - organ
Houston Person - tenor saxophone
Virgil Jones - trumpet
Melvin Sparks - guitar
Idris Muhammad - drums
Buddy Caldwell -congas

Art Davis Quartet - Life (1986)

Bassist Art Davis, who occasionally played with John Coltrane in the early '60s, has led relatively few sessions throughout his career. A very talented player with complete control over his instrument, Davis contributed all four selections to this impressive outing which is highlighted by "Duo" (matching his bass with tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders) and the 19-and-a-half-minute four-part "Add." Davis' all-star quartet also includes pianist John Hicks and drummer Idris Muhammad.

by Scott Yanow in All Music Guide

Styles:
Hard-Bop
Post-Bop

Tracks:
01 - Life (10:32)
02 - Duo (03:26)
03 - Blues for Comcertpie E for Bass (07:12)
04 - Add (19:25)

Line-up:
Art Davis - Bass
Pharoah Sanders - tenor saxophone
John Hicks - Piano
Idris Muhammad - Drums

Pharoah Sanders - Jewels of Thought (1969)

In 1969, Pharoah Sanders was incredibly active, recording no less than four albums and releasing three. The band on Jewels of Thought is largely the same as on Deaf Dumb Blind and Karma, with a few changes. Idris Muhammad has, with the exception of "Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah Hum Allah," replaced Roy Haynes, and Richard Davis has permanently replaced Reggie Workman and Ron Carter, though Cecil McBee is still present for the extra bottom sound. Leon Thomas and his trademark holy warble are in the house, as is Lonnie Liston Smith. Comprised of two long cuts, the aforementioned and "Sun in Aquarius," Jewels of Thought sees Sanders moving out from his signature tenor for the first time and delving deeply into reed flutes and bass clarinet. The plethora of percussion instruments utilized by everyone is, as expected, part of the mix. "Hum-Allah" begins with a two-chord piano vamp by Smith and Thomas singing and yodeling his way into the band's improvisational space. For 12 minutes, Sanders and company mix it up -- especially the drummers -- whipping it first quietly down into the most pure melodic essences of Smith's solo and then taking the tension and building to ecstatic heights with all manner of blowing and intervallic interaction between the various elements until it just explodes, before coming down in pieces and settling into a hush of melodic frames and the same two-chord vamp. On "Sun in Aquarius," African thumb pianos, reed flutes, sundry percussion, and orchestra chimes are employed to dislocate all notions of Western music. Things get very quiet (though there is constant motion); the innards of the piano are brushed and hammered quietly before Sanders comes roaring out of the tense silence with his bass clarinet, and then the tenor and bass share an intertwined solo and Smith starts kicking ass with impossibly large chords. It moves into another two-chord vamp at the end of 27 minutes, to be taken out as a closed prayer. It's more like a finished exorcism, actually, but it is one of the most astonishing pieces by Sanders ever.

by Thom Jurek in All Music Guide

Styles:
Progressive Jazz
Post Bop
Free-Jazz
Yodel

Tracks:
01 - Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah (15:04)
02 - Sun in Aquarius (27:51)

Line-up:
Pharoah Sanders - tenor saxophone, contrabass clarinet, reed flute, African thumb piano, orchestra chimes, percussion
Leon Thomas - vocals, percussion
Lonnie Liston Smith - piano, African flute, African thumb piano, percussion
Idris Muhammad - drums, percussion
Roy Haynes - drums
Cecil McBee - bass, percussion
Richard Davis - bass, percussion

Pharoah Sanders - Live... (1981)

This album features Pharoah Sanders playing some no-nonsense tenor in a quartet with pianist John Hicks, bassist Walter Booker, and drummer Idris Muhammad. Sanders performs "It's Easy to Remember" (in a style very reminiscent of early-'60s John Coltrane), an original blues, and two of his compositions, including the passionate "You've Got to Have Freedom." The musicianship is at a high level and, although Sanders does not shriek as much as one might hope (the Trane-ish influence was particularly strong during this relatively mellow period), he is in fine form.

by Scott Yanow in All Music Guide

Styles:
Progressive Jazz
Post-Bop

Tracks:
01 - You've Got to Have Freedom (14:17)
02 - It's Easy to Remember (06:51)
03 - Blues For Santa Cruz (08:39)
04 - Pharomba (13:26)
05 - Doktor Pitt (21:34)

Line-up:
Pharoah Sanders - Tenor sax
John Hicks - Piano
Walter Booker - Bass
Idris Muhammad - Drums

Idris Muhammad - House of the Rising Sun (1976)

Idris Muhammad's House of the Rising Sun is a legendary soul-jazz album, and for good reason. First there's the fact that, Grady Tate notwithstanding, Idris Muhammad is easily the greatest of all soul-jazz drummers. Next, it is revealed that label boss and producer Creed Taylor was at his most inspired here, and wasn't afraid to err on the rhythm and blues side of the jazz equation. The material is top-notch, and David Matthews, who orchestrated and arranged this date with the exception of one track -- "Sudan" was written by Muhammad and Tom Harrell, and Harrell arranged it -- was on fire. As a bandleader, Muhammad is shockingly effective. Not because one could ever doubt his ability, but because of his reputation as one of the great studio drummers in jazz. Finally, this is the single greatest lineup in Kudu's history, and features the talents of Don Grolnick, Eric Gale, Will Lee, Roland Hanna, Joe Beck, David Sanborn, Michael Brecker, Hugh McCracken, Bob Berg, Fred Wesley, Patti Austin, and a dozen others playing their asses off. From the title track which opens the album, with Austin reaching the breaking point in her delivery, to the stunningly funky groove in Ashford and Simpson's "Hard to Face the Music," to the minor key funk of the Chopin-adapted theme in "Theme for New York City," to "Sudan"'s triple-timed drums and killer Eastern-tinged hooks, and a read of the Meters' "Hey Pocky A-Way," with Eric Gale's dirty finger poppin' bass atop McCracken's bluesed-out slide work, this is a steaming, no let-up album. Add to this a gorgeous version of the Ary Barroso Brazilian jazz classic "Bahia," and you have the set for a classic jazz album. But the complete disregard for the political correctness of "Jazz" itself, in order to get the deeply funky and soulful grooves across, is what makes this set so damn special and even spiritual in its inspiration. Jazz purists lost all credibility when they slagged this one off, caught as they were in tainted, even racist views of the past that made no allowances for jazz musicians to actually follow their time-honored tradition of mining the pop music of the day to extend the breadth and reach of jazz itself. Anybody who wants to believe that George Gershwin is somehow more important than George Porter Jr. is already lost in his own cultural fascism. Muhammad, who understands this better than anyone, pulled out all the stops here and blasted out one amazingly tough, funky slab. Brilliant.

by Thom Jurek in All Music Guide

Styles:
Crossover Jazz
Post-Bop
Soul Jazz
Fusion

Tracks:
01 - The House Of The Rising Sun (04:42)
02 - Baia (Boogie Bump) (04:38)
03 - Hard To Face The Music (04:49)
04 - Theme For New York City (03:26)
05 - Sudan (10:53)
06 - Hey Pock A-Way (06:07)
07 - Pipe Stem (5:29)
08 - I Know You Don't Want Me No More (04:42)

Line-up:
Idris Muhammad - drums, percussion
Eric Gale, Joe Beck, Will Lee, Wilbur Bascomb - guitar, bass
Leon Pendarvis, Don Grolnick, Roland Hanna - piano
George Young - tenor saxophone
Ronnie Cuber - baritone saxophone
David Sanborn - alto saxophone
George Devens - percussion

Pharoah Sanders - Doktor Pitt (Live in San Francisco, 1981)

Line-up:
Pharoah Sanders - tenor sax
John Hicks - Piano
Walter Booker - Bass
Idris Muhammad - Drums

Ernest Ranglin - Below the Bassline (1996)

Below the Bassline is a successfully smooth integration of traditional reggae and jazz: two music forms that may not immediately spring to mind when contemplating the flawless mixture of music styles. However, the collective featured in this album — and Ranglin (a reggae and ska rhythm innovator) is a chief among them — plays 55 minutes of island tree-swaying, soul-backed precision. Ira Coleman's bass playing is not the focus of this album, even though the title seems to suggest so. Nor does the focus of this album fall upon the popular funk and fusion (and yes, even disco) drummer Idris Muhammad. In fact, there is only one brief drum solo by Muhammad on Below the Bassline, and it is the first thing you hear. Muhammad opens up "Congo Man Chant" with a snare-laden solo whose rhythm quickly involves Ranglin and Coleman, who collaborate to play eight bars of a rapid but laid-back bassline. Monty Alexander jumps in with the piano and brings Ernest along with him as they determine what ends up being the refrain for a moving piano solo sandwiched between two adept Ranglin solos. There are two ska rhythm selections on this album, "Ball of Fire," on which Roland Alphonso plays saxophone, and "Bourbon Street Skank," which features some of Ranglin's most dexterous playing (also heard on "Nana's Chalk Pipe"). The title track is immediately identifiable as reggae, with its organ stabs on the down side of the beat, Muhammad's gentle but consistent treatment of the hi-hats, Ranglin's lyrical playing on the guitar, and the overall slow, relaxed tempo and feel of the tune. It is an accurate capsule of Below the Bassline, another testament to the skill of the legendary Ernest Ranglin and the other musicians featured here.
by Qa'id Jacobs at All Music Guide.

Style:
Jazz Funk

Tracks:
01 Congo Man Chant
02 Surfin'
03 King Tubby Meets the Rockers
04 Satta Massagana
05 54-46 Was My Number
06 Ball of Fire
07 Black Disciples
08 Bourbon Street Skank
09 None Shall Escape the Judgement
10 Nana's Chalk Pipe
11 Below the Bassline

Line-up:
Ernest Ranglin - guitar
Monty Alexander - piano / melodica
Roland Alphonso - tenor and soprano saxophone
Ira Coleman - acoustic bass
Gary Mayone - percussion / keyboards
Idris Muhammad - drums

Pharoah Sanders - Journey to the One (1980)

Formerly a Theresa double LP, this single CD contains all ten of Pharoah Sanders's performances from the sessions. As usual, Sanders shifts between spiritual peace and violent outbursts in his tenor solos. The backup group changes from track to track but often includes pianist John Hicks, bassist Ray Drummond and drummer Idris Muhammad. Sanders really recalls his former boss John Coltrane on "After the Rain" (taken as a duet with pianist Joe Bonner) and a romantic "Easy to Remember"; other highpoints include "You've Got to Have Freedom" (which has Bobby McFerrin as one of the background singers) and the exotic "Kazuko" on which Sanders is accompanied by kato, harmonium and wind chimes.

by Scott Yanow at All Music Guide.

Style:
Mainstream Jazz

Tracks:
01 Greetings to Idris
02 Doktor Pitt
03 Kazuko (Peace Child)
04 After the Rain
05 Soledad
06 You've Got to Have Freedom
07 Yemenja
08 It's Easy to Remember
09 Think About the One
10 Bedria

Line-up:
Pharoah Sanders - tenor saxophone
Joe Bonner - piano
John Hicks - piano
Ray Drummond - bass
Yoko Ito Gates - koto
Eddie Henderson - flugelhorn
Idris Muhammad - drums

Idris Muhammad - Power of Soul (1974)

This album is one of the reasons that Idris Muhammad is regarded as the drumming king of groove. Featuring the arrangements and keyboards of Bob James, the saxophone punch of Grover Washington, Jr., guitarist Joe Beck, trumpeter Randy Brecker, percussionist Ralph MacDonald, and the knife-edge slick production of Creed Taylor, this 1974 issue is a burning piece of deep, jazzy soul and grooved-out bliss. The funk flies fast and heavy, particularly on the title track (Jimi Hendrix's tune), with soaring solos by Grover and James, who fall down in the groove to Muhammad's powerful pace, setting from the heart of the pocket. Beck's own solo is special in that he moves against the tempo just a bit, but that only increases the listener's dependence on the groove of Muhammad. Clocking in at only 34 minutes it's a perfect slice of the raw-onion emotion Muhammad was pulling down at the time. While there isn't a weak track in the four, it's Washington's "Loran's Dance" that takes the cake, even over Hendrix. While the former is dark and heavy, and the immediately preceding tracks by James and Beck, respectively, are light, fancy, free nods to Creed Taylor's hoping for a jazz radio single, it's "Loran's Dance" that showcases not only Washington as an aspiring writer in his own right (this is only a year before Feels So Good and Mr. Magic appeared), but also as a talented interpreter of the edges where jazz and soul come together. James' arrangements are tight, and everybody gets to solo with a little more freedom and grace. Muhammad keeps the pocket wide and Brecker and Washington dance all around in it as James plays the accents furtively. This is some easy-moving, yet musically complex jazz. There is great power in these four tracks to make you move or reflect or just tap your foot while nodding "yeah" at your speakers imperceptibly.

by Thom Jurek at All Music Guide.

Styles:
Post-Bop
Crossover Jazz

Tracks:
01 Power of Soul
02 Piece of Mind
03 The Saddest Thing
04 Loran's Dance

Line-up:
Randy Brecker - trumpet / flugelhorn
Bob James - keyboards
Gary King - bass
Ralph MacDonald - percussion
Idris Muhammad drums vocals
Grover Washington - sopano and tenor saxophone

Pharoah Sanders - Africa (1987)

As Kevin Whitehead's liner notes to this release reflect, Sanders "pays explicit tribute to his late mentor John Coltrane -- as this set's Coltrane-oriented sound makes unashamedly clear." Actually, Coltrane penned only one of the eight tunes, while Sanders wrote six, but the spirit of the master looms heavily throughout. Sanders displays an uncanny resemblance to Trane's unique way of over-blowing and his special ability to get inside a ballad. Pianist John Hicks is in perfect form and contributes mightily to the success of the session. Most will probably prefer the original Coltrane to Sanders' imitations, but Africa is nonetheless a joyous and worthy tribute to one of the giants of jazz. This album marked somewhat of a backtrack for the saxophonist, as he had frequently become identified with much more traditional playing.
by Steven Loewy at All Music Guide.

Styles:
Progressive Jazz
Modal Music
Post-Bop

Tracks:
01 You've Got to Have Freedom
02 Naima
03 Origin
04 Speak Low
05 After the Morning
06 Africa
07 Heart to Heart
08 Duo

Line-up:
Pharoah Sanders - tenor saxophone
John Hicks - piano
Curtis Lundy - bass
Idris Muhammad - drums