Funk Drums Meet Downtown Soul
Muhammad anchors a tight ensemble through grooves that sit somewhere between hard-bop and early-seventies funk.
Foxhuntin' pulls you into a room where the drums aren't just keeping time — they're the engine. Idris Muhammad's approach here is rhythmically sophisticated but never fussy; he locks into grooves that feel both propulsive and relaxed, letting the rest of the band breathe around him. The horns come in dense and sharp — three trumpets (Danny Cahn, John Gatchell, Bob Millikan), a baritone sax in Ronnie Cuber, clarinet in Phil Bodner — stacked close enough to feel like a single orchestral voice one moment, then splitting apart into counterpoint the next. Hiram Bullock's guitar work is clean and minimal, Wilbur "Bad" Bascomb anchors the low end with a pocket-first sensibility, and Clifford Carter on keyboards provides harmonic weight without overstating things.
This is Muhammad doing what he does best — swinging hard in a working ensemble, no frills, just committed playing. The material sits in that sweet spot between hard-bop fundamentals and the funkier sensibilities that were creeping into jazz in the early seventies. Tracks breathe at their own tempos; some snap tight, others have room to stretch. Nothing here sounds like it's trying to prove anything, which is exactly the point. For listeners who already know Muhammad's work, this shows him as a bandleader thinking carefully about ensemble texture. For newcomers, it's a solid entry point to a drummer who spent his career making music that swings without apology.
Who's playing
Wilbur “Bad” Bascombbass
Hiram Bullockguitar
Ronnie Cuberbaritone saxophone
Danny Cahntrumpet
John Gatchelltrumpet
Bob Millikantrumpet
Idris Muhammaddrums
Sammy Figueroapercussion
Phil Bodnerclarinet
Clifford Carterkeyboard
