1976
From Chopin to The Meters and the Funkiest Version of 'House of the Rising Sun' by Idris Muhammad
Here is Idris Muhammad's 1976 album "House of the Rising Sun." Not the folky ballad we all know, this version is a funky surprise! Backed by a heavy-hitting Kudu session band, Muhammad connects traditional R&B to the emerging acid-jazz sound.
Not feeling like reading? That's alright! 😎 Here is “Sudan” – a masterpiece for you to listen. 🔊
The first Idris Muhammad album I ever listened to was House of the Rising Sun, drawn in by the title, of course, because who doesn't love 'House of the Rising Sun,' especially the version by The Animals? I had no idea that the title track, although soulful and funky, was only the beginning. The entire album is a work of art in jazz-funk, with each song revealing how varied the group’s strengths are and Idris Muhammad's phenomenal drumming. 🥁
Even though some of his albums from the same decade, such as Power of Soul and Turn This Mutha Out, go farther into pure funk, House of the Rising Sun is still my favorite album. ✨
A New Orleans Legend: The Roots of the Muhammad Groove
Idris Muhammad, a native of New Orleans, starts drumming at a Mardi Gras when he is only 15 years old, sitting with Art Neville and the Hawketts on Mardi Gras Mambo.
New Orleans' music gives him a deep understanding of rhythm and groove. Over the years, he performs with many musicians, including Fats Domino, Sam Cooke, and Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions, Ahmad Jamal, Pharoah Sanders, and Lou Donaldson, and collaborates with Grover Washington Jr., Roberta Flack, and Hank Crawford. He even creates the original drum beats for the Broadway musical Hair, performing in the show for four years... 🎼
Defining the Sound: From "Hair" to Acid Jazz
Working with such a wide range of musicians, his work combines funk, R&B, and jazz. While many consider him a jazz drummer, Muhammad himself states in interviews, “he is a funk drummer rather than a jazz drummer.”
His technique even provides the foundation for the eventual development of acid jazz (jazz improvisation with funk, soul, and hip-hop elements). He blends classical jazz with the danceable energy of funk.
Here is a quote from his interview to Dave Wayne for AllAboutJazz:
“But I made a lot of records with organ. The organ trend came on the scene and I was makin' all these records with Charles Earland and Dr. Lonnie Smith. We have a great history of all of these records that we have out. Now they call it Acid Jazz. But that was the beginning of something that was a trend that was happening. And during this period, a lot of drummers in town was just listenin' at what I was doin' and copying what I was doin.' So it was like a new trend. I had no idea that this was happening, until "Hair." I'm the original drummer from the musical 'Hair'.”
The Kudu Sessions: Inside the 1976 Album
House of the Rising Sun is released in 1976 on the Kudu label, and it is just the blend of jazz and funk.
The album features eight tracks and opens with a jazz-funk version of the traditional folk song 'House of the Rising Sun,' with David Sanborn on alto saxophone. 🎷 There is an all-star roster of musicians on the album with Idris Muhammad: Fred Wesley is there with his trombone, Joe Beck is there on guitar, Will Lee and Wilbur Bascomb are on the bass, and Patti Austin is there with her voice, to name just a few. 'Theme for New York City' is a lovely piece - actually “an adaptation of Chopin's Prelude No. 4.” The Meters' 'Hey Pocky A-Way,' is included in the album with a very funky version.
Track Spotlight: The 11-Minute Masterpiece 'Sudan'
'Sudan,' the 11-minute track; with Tom Harrell, co-composer and trumpet player enhancing the tone and Idris Muhammad displaying his drumming voice behind the kit, is my favorite on this album. 🎺 🥁
Gülben - 06/2024
📖 R.J. DeLuke writes for AllAboutJazz
📖 Nate Chinen writes for the NewYorkTimes
📖 Geraldine Wyckoff writes for the OffBeatMagazine
📙 Inside the Music: the Life of Idris Muhammad: The Life of Idris Muhammad
