IDRIS MUHAMMAD — Power of Soul (review)

IDRIS MUHAMMAD — Power of Soul album cover Album · 1974 · Funk Jazz Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
js
There are probably two different ways you can look at Idris Muhammad’s “Power of Soul”; on the plus side this is a nice collection of sophisticated orchestrated lite funk jazz, on the negative tip this album represents the first steps towards the creation of the fuzak monster that devoured jazz for several years, maybe even decades. This album opens with “Power of Soul”, a great piece of kitschy horn driven soul jazz that sounds like it was lifted from a classic blaxploitation soundtrack. This one is pretty much the highlight of the album and features a great fuzz tone psychedelic guitar solo from Joe Beck as well as lots of intense hard driving horn ensemble lines.

The next three tunes that make up the rest of the album are all somewhat similar to each other, all three are very pleasant and sophisticated lounge funk tunes that feature excellent orchestrations from the then young up and coming Bob James. The individual soloists are also the best with special mention going to the hyper talented Grover Washington and Randy Brecker. Bob James’ top notch production and arrangements on here were mining a field similar to Creed Taylor at CTI. Both were borrowing heavily from the best easy listening and exotica arrangers, such as Henry Mancini and Les Baxter, to create a new modern approach to jazz arranging. Although a lot of this was attractive at first, later a cookie cutter sameness would take over and bland fuzak would rule the jazz radio stations for a long time to come. Still, this record has a lot more soul and hot playing and arranging then the mass of fuzak that would follow in its wake.
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