Idris Muhammad

Jazz, soul and funk drummer Idris Muhammad has died aged 74.

Born Leo Morris in New Orleans, by the time he was 16, he had played the drums for Fats Domino's 1956 hit, "Blueberry Hill." He toured with Sam Cooke, Jerry Butler, Roberta Flack and many others. He converted to Islam in the 1960s, marrying Dolores "La La Brooks", former lead singer for the Crystals on "Da Doo Ron Ron" and "Then He Kissed Me" in 1966. They separated in 1999.

On the "smooth jazz" front, he's been the drummer on LPs by Gene Ammons, George Benson, Lou Donaldson, Grant Green and Sonny Stitt, as well as more old school performers like Paul Desmond, J J Johnson and Nat Adderley. From the 1990s he played drums for jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal.

Here's one of its time, 1977; apologies for the ad roll. If you have 8 minutes to spare, play loud.