Inside the Music: The Life of Idris Muhammad

by Idris Muhammad

This book is the product of extensive yet mostly casual tape recorded interviews conducted by Britt Alexander. Mr. Alexander met Idris Muhammad at Joe Segal’s Jazz Showcase in Chicago, IL, in the Fall1998, when he was writing free-lance for drum magazine publications. Mr. Muhammad then resided in Austria. Upon publication of the initial interview, both Muhammad and Alexander were living in New York City. The interviews continued. The result has been formatted into this book. Mr. Muhammad is now retired and living in New Orleans, LA. Mr. Alexander is a professional drummer, living in Santa Fe, NM.

Genres: Music

236 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 26, 2012

Reviews

[Phil Overeem · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will read ANY BOOK about New Orleans, and especially about New Orleans music, and this memoir by the former Leo Morris, while not really "written" (it's transcribed interviews), is a blast. Not only does it make me want to get a drum kit and start learning before it's too late, but it passes one of my essential tests of music books: it sends you rushing out to listen to records you've never heard, in this case ones Muhammad played on like Lou Donaldson's ALLIGATOR BOOGALOO, Willis Jackson's BAR WARS, and Grant Green's ALIVE (where you can reeeeeeally hear the parades in Indris' playing).

[Paula Graves · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not a musician, but did play the piano. I recently bought a digital piano thinking it might be a good alternate choice to fiddling with my phone. I also had this book beside my bed, for I knew I wanted to write a review. The dialect (so gracefully consistent throughout the book that I hesitate to "label" it 'dialect') in this book helps me get back into a beat that allows for breath of all kinds, just like music. That is, it's all okay. This sharing of two people about the work, time, and profession was "safe" and honest, it was about telling a good story...resourcefulness...polish.

Rhythm and cadence and song in these stories about family, community, cats, sharing, fame, politics, money, instruments and spirit forms poetry of these two individuals, two drummers. Thank you, Britt & Idris, for taking the time. I will return to pages turned down and sections of this work, well structured into these 8 sections written from tape recorded interviews conducted by Britt Alexander and Idris Muhammad.

[Nascha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with the music of Idris Muhammad and his life before and after entering the musical arena was fascinating. This biography is a collection of short chapters which came from a series of interviews Mr. Muhammad had with the author. Highly recommend it especially for lovers of New Orleans, black music and jazz.