I was first introduced to Idris Muhammad initially by his imagery, not his music. This was through the cover of Power of Soul on a tee shirt Mike D was wearing on a bootleg video of the Beastie Boys about 20 years ago. I had to search for the image, and when I finally deciphered it to be Muhammad (through the help of some of my older DJ friends), my curiosity and love affair with the funky drummer from New Orleans began. There will be many tributes floating around for this man, news sites, music sites, blogs, and the like. I do not need to go into his very strong resume of different styles of music he was accomplished in, or the multitude of top name performers he toured with. That is all readily available on the internet. I will however, say that there was one tune of his that has always touched me, always pulled me in, and always gets spins on my turntable whether it is at home or at a gig. This side is “Loran’s Dance”. And even though it brings me back to a late teen pumping the Paul’s Boutique cassette in one of my first cars while sitting in the park by my childhood home, it offers a sense of serenity for me. A peaceful resting and welcomed respite from the troubles of the day. Here’s to Leo Morris, aka Idris Muhammad, resting peacefully and in power. His work has left a lasting impression on the music world, past and present.

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