Idris Muhammad

Idris Muhammad was an American jazz drummer who recorded extensively with many musicians, including Bob James, Pharoah Sanders, John Scofield, George Benson, Lonnie Smith and Tete Montoliu. Power of Soul is his best known album and 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 album is a burning piece of deep, jazzy soul and grooved-out bliss. The album includes the tune "Loran's Dance", which received considerable airplay on jazz radio stations and was sampled by Beastie Boys ("To All The Girls" and "B-Boy Bouillabaisse") and Fatboy Slim ("The Weekend Starts Here"). "Power Of Soul" was sampled by Notorious BIG ("Ready To Die") and The Game featuring Anderson Paak ("80s and Cocaine").