Customer Reviews

Power of Soul

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is Idris Muhammad's best album as a leader, and deserves to finally be released on CD. The band is first rate: Grover Washington knocks out some great solos with Joe Beck, Randy Brecker, and Bob James adding splashes of color to the mix. The Hendrix-penned title cut, with its horn punches and heavy backbeat might be the most rocking thing producer Creed Taylor ever put to tape. The other three tracks on this album don't offer any new revelations, but settle into a mellow groove that really simmers in places. "Piece of Mind" (my favorite song here), has a gritty urban feel, while "The Saddest Thing" and "Loran's Dance" feature catchy, pretty melodies. As this date's leader, Idris Muhammad doesn't offer extraneous frills or drum pyrotechnics--he seems to be more concerned about doing what he does best: laying down the tightest groove possible.

I love this album more and more with every listen. The groove is non-stop, but on a mellow tip. We all know Idris Muhammad is the original funky drummer, but on this album he brings it on a different level- on a chill out and burn one down vibe. I listen to this album mostly when i get home from a night of serious drinkin' or on a Friday night at home relaxin' with a cold one and a fatty. It brings the mood way down. I have said it before and I will say it again- Anything with this man's name on it is the she-ot!!

...okay... i exxaggerate... but this cd did bring some life to these weary bones of mine! this is the type of downtempo-jazz-funk i been lookin for: music to relax and slump to... and maybe "funk" aint the best word to use... i'ma pull up an ol' school word and say that this ish is more "groovy" than it is "funky"... (unnastand?)... anyway, i think this cd is excellent, the whole ... thing! but if you're a 'stuffed-shirt'-type, and you prefer your jazz traditional or if you're one of them 'downtempo-chillout-trance'-types, neither one of yall will be entirely pleased... this falls in the middle where er'body else hangs out...

Great musicianship from Idris's line up. the horns were impecable. the music reminds you of early 70s tv shows like swat,starsky and hutch etc. a bit short but modestly jazz funk rock. the electric piano is also outstanding. if you run out of first options to buy some new cds, this is a good one to explore and discover-if you are into 70'jazz funk groove music.

A CLASSIC from the 70's. These guys kicked BUTT on this. If you
listen closely, you can hear Idris in the mix saying "all right", "all
right" as they weave their improvisational way through the 4 charts.
It's best to crank this one up VERY loud to get the proper mood and
effect. Brecker and Grover Washington are fabulous on this. This is
my all-time favorite jazz-funk recording of the 1000's of jazz cd's in
my collection. It NEVER fails to get me grooving, even though I've
heard it 100's of times (including vinyl back in the 70's and 80's). I
remember the night I first heard this on that KUDU record I bought
at a local record shop (that's long gone now). It was like "YEA BABY,
THIS IS IT!!!" Absolutely FANTASTIC jazz-funk. Bob James is at his
funkiest on this as well. For me, Idris' other KUDU recordings never
really came close to "Power of Soul". I have them all, but this is his
masterpiece. I've introduced several people to this recording who, not
surprisingly, had never heard of it OR Idris Muhammad, but thanked me
afterwards. Very, very hip stuff from those golden 70's now available
on cd. From 1974, arranged and conducted by the brilliant Bob James,
and sampled by countless musicians over the years. 100 million stars.

for anyone white or black living inner city life this album is for you. these songs are mellow and and smooth perfect for an a late saturday afternoon. idris is a talented drummer whole style is great in my opinion. cti can go no wrong.

When I think of the feel of this album, I think "New York" jazz funk. To paraphrase King Curtis, a tablespoon of Brecker Brothers, a pinch of Bob James, a cup of Gary King on bass and some fat-back drums from Steve Gadd or in this case, Idris. Add some some super sax work from Grover Washington -- he really burns on this one -- and some great guitar from Joe Beck and you have a real New York "Soul Stew."

Other great examples of this are anything by "Stuff," Eric Gale, Paul Simon's "Still Crazy After All These Years," much of Bob James' solo work and Tom Scott's "New York Connection."

Regarding the tunes, all are great, but it's "Sesame Street, one-of-these-things-is-not-like-the-other" time. "Power of Soul" is a phenomenal, blistering take on the Hendrix "Band of Gypsies" tune. My guess is that it was Buddy Miles's drumming on this tune that attracted Idris. Like Miles, Gadd and Purdie, Muhammad has the zen of no-frills, deep pocket funk drumming down to the ground.

All three of the other tunes sound like some of the best Bob James you could want to hear. Sure, Bob only wrote Piece of Mind. But his "arranging and conducting" of the others by Beck and Washington infuses these tunes with a completely Jamesian feel.

I missed this album when it first came out. Even with what I consider to be at least reasonable research abilities on my part, I only just "discovered" it a month or so ago. Given that this disk is up there with Herbie Hancock's "Thrust," Scott's "New York Connection" and Bob James' "Touchdown," I am just amazed that there aren't more "pointers" to this music.

But I can assure you that you've found buried treasure here. Get it while the getting is good.

Back in the day when this was first issued, I used to see it in the bins at the record store and always had a chuckle looking at the cover but never took the opportunity to listen to it until much later. That chance came when I was introduced to some of the music on this album via Grover Washington Jr's excellent Sidestar album on which was featured music that Washington played as a sideman. One of those cuts was Idris Muhammad's take on Loran's Dance which was so much better than the excellent rendition on Washington's own album Reed Seed that I felt compelled to give Power of Soul a listen.
Am I ever glad I did! This is the short yet stunning musical jihad that launched Muhammad as a band leader and which gives him a lasting place among the giants of jazz. No small feat for a guy whose previous gigs included playing drums in the silly but popular musical Hair. Muhammad is not a flashy drummer, but he knows how to lay down a groove and establishes himself as a force in the space of just four tunes. I like the entire album, but the best cuts are Joe Beck's The Saddest Thing and the spectacular Washington composition Loran's Dance which I could listen to all day. It surely helps that Muhammad is backed by an all-star cast from the CTI stable!
I knock one star off not for the music but for value. Surely there were some worthy outtakes that could have been included on this remaster to enhance the buyer's enjoyment. The CD includes an insert containing album information, a biography of Idris Muhammad, and a short history of CTI. If you were going to own just one Idris Muhammad recording, Power of Soul is the one I'd recommend because it is sadly the only one that's truly memorable.

I've been looking to find this on CD for a number of years to replace my worn-out reel-to-reel copy. This could be called a precursor or very early example of the "smooth jazz" genre, because I think it came out before that term was widely used. If you're looking for some laid-back, intricately woven, low-maintenance jazz/funk, this fits the bill, and with that distinctive 70s CTI sound. One thing I never quite understood, though, was why Idris Muhammad was listed as the leader, since he didn't write the tunes and really wasn't featured. There is some beautiful, tasteful playing, particularly by Grover Washington, Jr., Bob James, and Joe Beck. A real gem!

The title track is a solid, superfunky treatment of a Hendrix tune, but it's the shortest track on the album. The others were written individually by the musicians on the album: Bob James, Grover Washington, and Joe Beck. Grover's is the best; awesome sax work from him, truly inspired playing, and the song has a very good arrangement and melody. Beck's is good too, funky and with good guitar and drum work. Bob James' track is awful and drags the whole album down - the same kind of meandering, fake-jazz muzak he puts on his own albums. It's pointless noodling; not offensive, but bland as hell. But don't let that stop you - Power Of Soul is worth getting, it's just not really an extraordinary album, that's all. Idris' drumming is not particularly emphasized in the mix, and although it's fine as usual, you'd never know the drummer was the leader on this date. Also, they keep touting the remastering jobs on these new CTI CD releases, but while sound quality is better than before, they always have a problem with lower-than-normal treble and cymbals on CTI stuff. Cymbals are NEVER crisp on CTI recordings, always flat and bland, and on an Idris Muhammad record in particular, I'd expect them to be pushed up in the mix and re-equalized, but they're not. I didn't think they did a great job on this one, but it sounds acceptable, not bad.