Idris Muhammad – Peace And Rhythm (2022) Hi-Res

Although Idris Muhammad’s mid-’70s work on the Kudu/CTI labels has been what he’s most known for among crate diggers and jazz-funk afficionados, the drummer cut a widely varied path through jazz and R&B in the years leading up to them. Throughout the ’60s—after playing drums on Fats Domino’s “Blueberry Hill” (!)—Muhammad was a go-to sideman on Blue Note, Prestige, and Verve sessions for the likes of George Benson, Grant Green, and, most consistently, Lou Donaldson. In addition to gigs with these genre-defining soul-jazz artists, he also found his way onto Pharoah Sanders’ expansive Jewels of Thought. And if you were looking for a shorthand way to describe the two albums Muhammad cut for Prestige—Black Rhythm Revolution! in 1970 and Peace and Rhythm the following year—you could do a whole lot worse than “Lou Donaldson meets Pharoah Sanders.” On Peace and Rhythm, Muhammad and his band (which includes Ron Carter and Kenny Barron, as well as Virgil Jones, Clarence Thomas, and Melvin Sparks) move through some decidedly spacey jams that are remarkably similar in scope to what many contemporary jazz musicians are doing today with their fusions of cosmic spaciousness, free improvisation, and groove-oriented structures. At the time of its release, though, the 17-minute “Peace and Rhythm Suite” was utterly unlike anything else around, a side-long excursion into complex percussion, open-ended ambience, and free-blowing horns. Side two is a bit of a different story, with Muhammad working much more fastidiously in the pocket and the structures much more pragmatic and song-like. Not unlike the combo of Albert Ayler and his lyricist/singer wife Mary Parks, Muhammad gets a vocal/poetry assist from his spouse, Sakinah Muhammad (née Dolores “LaLa” Brooks, of the Crystals) on two of these tracks, “Brother You Know You’re Doing Wrong” (an anti-drug song) and “I’m A Believer” (a slow-burning piece of spiritual funk and definitely not a Neil Diamond cover). While these cuts aren’t as successful or as interesting as the rest of the album, they’re clear evidence of Muhammad’s versatility and range.