James Mtume  

From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia

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James Mtume (1947 – 2022) was an American musician, songwriter, record producer, activist, and radio personality.

He came to prominence as a jazz musician, working with Miles Davis between 1971 and 1975. Mtume's R&B group, also called Mtume, is best known for the 1983 R&B hit song "Juicy Fruit", which has been repeatedly sampled.

There is also the album Alkebu-Lan: Land of The Blacks (1972) on Strata-East Records which is worth mentioning.

Discography

As leader

• Alkebu-Lan: Land of The Blacks (Strata-East, 1972) - with Mtume Umoja Ensemble (Carlos Garnett - Tenor & Flute, Leroy Jenkins - Violin, Gary Bartz- Alto and Soprano Sax, Stanley Cowell - Piano, Buster Williams - Bass, Billy Hart - Drums, and Joe Lee Wilson, Eddie Micheaux, and Andy Bey - Vocals. Yusef Iman and Weusi Kuumba - Poets.
• Rebirth Cycle (Third Street, 1977) - with Jean Carn, Stanley Cowell, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jimmy Heath, Cecil McBee, Leroy Jenkins, and Azar Lawrence.
• Kiss This World Goodbye (Epic, 1978) - with Mtume
• In Search of the Rainbow Seekers (Epic, 1980) - with Mtume
• Juicy Fruit (Epic, 1983) - with Mtume
• You, Me and He (Epic, 1984) - with Mtume
• Theater of the Mind (Epic, 1986) - with Mtume

As sideman

With Gato Barbieri

• Under Fire (Flying Dutchman, 1971 [1973])
• Bolivia (Flying Dutchman, 1973)

With Miles Davis

• On the Corner (Columbia, 1972)
• In Concert: Live at Philharmonic Hall (Columbia, 1973)
• Big Fun (Columbia, 1974)
• Get Up with It (Columbia, 1974)
• Dark Magus (Columbia, 1974)
• Agharta (Columbia, 1975)
• Pangaea (Columbia, 1975)
• The Complete On the Corner Sessions (Columbia, 2007)
• Miles Davis at Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4 (Columbia Legacy, 2015)

With Art Farmer

• Homecoming (Mainstream, 1971)

With Carlos Garnett

• Black Love (Muse, 1974)

With Jimmy Heath

• The Gap Sealer (Muse, 1973)
• The Time and the Place (Landmark, 1974 [1994])

With Eddie Henderson

• Heritage (Blue Note, 1976)
• Comin' Through (Capitol, 1977)
• Mahal (Capitol, 1978)

with Harold Land

• A New Shade of Blue (Mainstream, 1971)

With Azar Lawrence

• Bridge into the New Age (Prestige, 1974)

With Lonnie Liston Smith

• Astral Traveling (Flying Dutchman, 1973)

With James Spaulding

• James Spaulding Plays the Legacy of Duke Ellington (Storyville, 1977)

With McCoy Tyner

• Asante (Blue Note, 1970)
• Handscapes 2 (Strata-East, 1975)

With Buddy Terry

• Awareness (Mainstream, 1971)
• Pure Dynamite (Mainstream, 1972)

Composer

"The Closer I Get to You" written with Reggie Lucas. Performed by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway on Blue Lights in the Basement. Atlantic Records, 1977.