A great story about Idris, thanks for this Pe. I immediately checked out "allright" by Jamiroquai to spot the sample of "Could heaven ever be like this".
Fun fact, November 25 I will go to Jamiroquai's concert in the Ziggo Dome Amsterdam. He kicked off his world tour two days ago in Barcelona. This show started with a DJ support set from Cerrone.
This is great, Paul. I had no idea Cerrone did DJ sets, let alone opened for Jamiroquai. I also completely missed that he’s back on tour, otherwise I would’ve tried to grab tickets. I’ve never seen him live, and I love his work. Alright is such a great track, and he used the bassline from Idris’ record perfectly.
Let me know how the concert is! Wishing you an amazing time and a perfect start to the week.
Great piece on an outstanding tune. I came to it via Jamie XX 'Loud Places' sampling him , it went straight into my all time 70's Funk playlist and gets regular plays over 5 yrs later. Sublime transcendence indeed
Thanks, Crate Diggers Utd. I’ll be honest, I didn’t know the Jamie xx track. During my research I saw that he used a sample, but I hadn’t actually checked it out. I have now, and it’s fantastic. Pure genius how they slowed down the original to create a completely different vibe.
Thanks for reading and jumping in on the conversation. Have a great weekend!
The jazz funk scene in the UK was certainly a lifeline from the racism on the streets and the collapsing British economy of the late seventies, as well as being the reason why disco never died in Britain. As Hi Tension sang on the chorus to British Hustle, "the hustle baby, will drive you crazy, so everybody c'mon get on down", as neat an encapsulation of the link between the political and the personal as you are likely to find anywhere, as well as being a guaranteed floor filler! A mention also for Light of the World and in particular their Remixed album from 1981 which always seems to get left out in lists of remix albums from the eighties .
When I started researching this week’s episode, I had no idea the track had such a strong connection to Brit-Funk. I’ve read Dominic Sandbrook’s book on the early Thatcher years, pretty bleak stuff indeed. There were some parallels with late-70s/early-80s Belgium, but plenty of differences too. I don’t think we ever went that deep.
I’m definitely going to dig further into Brit-Funk, I’ve already ordered the Light of the World anthology. It’s a shame they never really crossed over to the continent. Such great music.
Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts, Paul. Have a good one!
I saw my name! That's it....that's all I got!🤣So surgically precise, Pe....truly. I'm so pleased you covered all the "big-picture" bases (that not many, if any, would've considered)....differentiating between internat'l markets, plus dissecting how CTI, as a jazz label, was really no match to battle the Casablancas, Buddahs, Salsouls, the other smaller disco-centric labels, not to mention the majors who were quickly building their dance/disco departments!
It's players like Muhammad that I've always lamented being surrounded by their work, but never having (or worse, TAKING) the time to find a way to listen to them! So, this fills in a very key figure in that massive mid- to late-'70s glut of dance music that completely overwhelmed the likes of Idris Muhammad! Thanks again, and I look forward to our collab hitting the dance floor next week!💃🕺
Wow, could Heaven Ever Be Like This and For Your Love are beautiful songs. So much to listen to in Heaven. Love that sax.
I'd heard of Idris Muhammad but knew nothing about him or his music. What an incredible pedigree. Thank you for that overview -- have to echo Andres and Dan in calling it fantastic. You do have a wonderful way of making these musicians fascinating to learn about.
Great to see a feature on Idris. Both 'Power of Soul' and 'Turn This Mutha Out' are superb! By the late 60s and definitely early 70s, Jazz had become stale and "your grandfather's music." The new sound was definitely funk, and it inspired both Jazz and Gospel artists to funk their shit up (there's some incredible Gospel funk from the early 70s!). Change or be left behind. Miles was the chameleon elder statesman who managed to stay cool while many older jazz artists struggled. My personal favorite period of Jazz is 1968-1976/7, when Jazz-funk and Spiritual Jazz reached their peak.
Pe, this was fantastic. Your research skills and industry knowledge deserve a standing ovation. I wasn't familiar with Idris Muhammad, and man, what a great musician. His life story is fascinating, particularly the fact he got to play on iconic tracks and with such iconic artists at such a young age.
I love jazz and I love funk, so this is right up my alley. And it always makes me proud when the UK 🇬🇧 celebrates talent that doesn't necessarily fit into a box 👍🏻
Thanks, Andy, there’s so much to discover in his catalogue. I’ve listened to (and bought) a few of his albums already and I love it. I’ve always had a soft spot for jazz-funk, it was the quality foundation alongside the gluttony of Eurodisco 😁
Thanks for reading, and for the wonderful compliment, my friend. It genuinely means a lot.
Fantastic piece. While I love Idris' 60s and early 70s work, I'd kind of avoided/rejected this period, somehow thinking that it was cheesy, cash-grab territory. Thank you for reframing it for me, and sending me back to it with a new attitude!
it all comes together....
A great story about Idris, thanks for this Pe. I immediately checked out "allright" by Jamiroquai to spot the sample of "Could heaven ever be like this".
Fun fact, November 25 I will go to Jamiroquai's concert in the Ziggo Dome Amsterdam. He kicked off his world tour two days ago in Barcelona. This show started with a DJ support set from Cerrone.
Now I am connecting all the dots😁
This is great, Paul. I had no idea Cerrone did DJ sets, let alone opened for Jamiroquai. I also completely missed that he’s back on tour, otherwise I would’ve tried to grab tickets. I’ve never seen him live, and I love his work. Alright is such a great track, and he used the bassline from Idris’ record perfectly.
Let me know how the concert is! Wishing you an amazing time and a perfect start to the week.
Another good one sparking the convo...
Thanks Steve! Have a great week!
Great piece on an outstanding tune. I came to it via Jamie XX 'Loud Places' sampling him , it went straight into my all time 70's Funk playlist and gets regular plays over 5 yrs later. Sublime transcendence indeed
Thanks, Crate Diggers Utd. I’ll be honest, I didn’t know the Jamie xx track. During my research I saw that he used a sample, but I hadn’t actually checked it out. I have now, and it’s fantastic. Pure genius how they slowed down the original to create a completely different vibe.
Thanks for reading and jumping in on the conversation. Have a great weekend!
The jazz funk scene in the UK was certainly a lifeline from the racism on the streets and the collapsing British economy of the late seventies, as well as being the reason why disco never died in Britain. As Hi Tension sang on the chorus to British Hustle, "the hustle baby, will drive you crazy, so everybody c'mon get on down", as neat an encapsulation of the link between the political and the personal as you are likely to find anywhere, as well as being a guaranteed floor filler! A mention also for Light of the World and in particular their Remixed album from 1981 which always seems to get left out in lists of remix albums from the eighties .
When I started researching this week’s episode, I had no idea the track had such a strong connection to Brit-Funk. I’ve read Dominic Sandbrook’s book on the early Thatcher years, pretty bleak stuff indeed. There were some parallels with late-70s/early-80s Belgium, but plenty of differences too. I don’t think we ever went that deep.
I’m definitely going to dig further into Brit-Funk, I’ve already ordered the Light of the World anthology. It’s a shame they never really crossed over to the continent. Such great music.
Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts, Paul. Have a good one!
I am completely unfamiliar with this artist. I now need to do a deep dive!
haha.. Great Dan. You might like it. Start with the Turn This Mutha Out album. Probably his best. Thanks for reading & reacting. Have a great weekend!
I saw my name! That's it....that's all I got!🤣So surgically precise, Pe....truly. I'm so pleased you covered all the "big-picture" bases (that not many, if any, would've considered)....differentiating between internat'l markets, plus dissecting how CTI, as a jazz label, was really no match to battle the Casablancas, Buddahs, Salsouls, the other smaller disco-centric labels, not to mention the majors who were quickly building their dance/disco departments!
It's players like Muhammad that I've always lamented being surrounded by their work, but never having (or worse, TAKING) the time to find a way to listen to them! So, this fills in a very key figure in that massive mid- to late-'70s glut of dance music that completely overwhelmed the likes of Idris Muhammad! Thanks again, and I look forward to our collab hitting the dance floor next week!💃🕺
😂 Thanks, Brad. I’m really looking forward to the next episode too. Thanks for reading and jumping in, have a great weekend!
Wow, could Heaven Ever Be Like This and For Your Love are beautiful songs. So much to listen to in Heaven. Love that sax.
I'd heard of Idris Muhammad but knew nothing about him or his music. What an incredible pedigree. Thank you for that overview -- have to echo Andres and Dan in calling it fantastic. You do have a wonderful way of making these musicians fascinating to learn about.
This is such a great compliment Ellen! Thank you very much. Have a great weekend!
Great to see a feature on Idris. Both 'Power of Soul' and 'Turn This Mutha Out' are superb! By the late 60s and definitely early 70s, Jazz had become stale and "your grandfather's music." The new sound was definitely funk, and it inspired both Jazz and Gospel artists to funk their shit up (there's some incredible Gospel funk from the early 70s!). Change or be left behind. Miles was the chameleon elder statesman who managed to stay cool while many older jazz artists struggled. My personal favorite period of Jazz is 1968-1976/7, when Jazz-funk and Spiritual Jazz reached their peak.
Well, you’ve definitely sparked my interest there, Michael, Gospel Funk! I’ll no doubt get to it on one of my many wanderings through dance music.
I don’t know the Power of Soul album that well, but I’ve made a mental note to revisit it.
Thanks for reading and jumping in, Michael. Have a great weekend!
DM me if you want some pointers on where to start with Gospel Funk.
Pe, this was fantastic. Your research skills and industry knowledge deserve a standing ovation. I wasn't familiar with Idris Muhammad, and man, what a great musician. His life story is fascinating, particularly the fact he got to play on iconic tracks and with such iconic artists at such a young age.
I love jazz and I love funk, so this is right up my alley. And it always makes me proud when the UK 🇬🇧 celebrates talent that doesn't necessarily fit into a box 👍🏻
Happy Friday!
Thanks, Andy, there’s so much to discover in his catalogue. I’ve listened to (and bought) a few of his albums already and I love it. I’ve always had a soft spot for jazz-funk, it was the quality foundation alongside the gluttony of Eurodisco 😁
Thanks for reading, and for the wonderful compliment, my friend. It genuinely means a lot.
Have a great weekend!
It’s very well deserved! Have a great weekend… and see you tomorrow, I guess 😉
Fantastic piece. While I love Idris' 60s and early 70s work, I'd kind of avoided/rejected this period, somehow thinking that it was cheesy, cash-grab territory. Thank you for reframing it for me, and sending me back to it with a new attitude!
Great to hear, Dan, definitely worth revisiting. I still need to dive into his earlier work, which is a bit of an unknown for me.
Thanks for reading and jumping in, have a good one!