Juma Santos
Encyclopedia
Juma Santos, also known as James P. Riley and Dr. Juma Santos (January 15, 1948, Massachusetts
- September, 2007, Chicago
) was a percussionist and master drummer
known for his extensive work over four decades with African music, caribbean music
, jazz
, fusion
, and R&B artists.
Born James P. Riley, Juma Santos served time in prison in upstate New York twice, was homeless for a time, and lived in Harlem and Brooklyn before moving to Detroit in 2000. He also spent time in Ghana.
He combined and fused styles and playing techniques on varied African musical instruments, experimenting with rhythms, songs, and chants with modern jazz harmonies and melodic forms and structures. His career included performing with many noted artists on projects of historical significance, including recording on more than 75 albums.
Santos recorded on Miles Davis
's Bitches Brew
and toured with Davis for a year. He also toured and recorded with Nina Simone
, David Sanborn
and Taj Mahal
. Other performance residencies include stints with Ahmad Jamal
, Dave Liebman
, Pee Wee Ellis
, Jack DeJohnette
, Gato Garcia, Don Alias
, Freddie Hubbard
, The Fabulous Rhinestones, Harvey Brooks
, Roy Ayers
, Don Moye
, and his own groups, Rosewater Foundation, Afro Jazz Messengers, The Pan-African Drum Ensemble, The Juma Society, and Sounds of the Urban Forest.
He died in September, 2007, in Chicago, apparently of complications from malaria, at the age of 61.
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
- September, 2007, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
) was a percussionist and master drummer
Master drummer
In African drumming, the title of master drummer is given to a drummer who is well known by other masters for his high skill and knowledge. It is a title passed down from a master to his pupil, after he has learned all there is to know about the African drum....
known for his extensive work over four decades with African music, caribbean music
Caribbean music
The music of the Caribbean is a diverse grouping of musical genres. They are each syntheses of African, European, Indian and native influences, largely created by descendants of African slaves...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
, and R&B artists.
Born James P. Riley, Juma Santos served time in prison in upstate New York twice, was homeless for a time, and lived in Harlem and Brooklyn before moving to Detroit in 2000. He also spent time in Ghana.
He combined and fused styles and playing techniques on varied African musical instruments, experimenting with rhythms, songs, and chants with modern jazz harmonies and melodic forms and structures. His career included performing with many noted artists on projects of historical significance, including recording on more than 75 albums.
Santos recorded on Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
's Bitches Brew
Bitches Brew
Bitches Brew is a studio double album by jazz musician Miles Davis, released in April 1970 on Columbia Records. The album continued his experimentation with electric instruments previously featured on his critically acclaimed In a Silent Way album...
and toured with Davis for a year. He also toured and recorded with Nina Simone
Nina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
, David Sanborn
David Sanborn
David Sanborn is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school...
and Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal (musician)
Henry Saint Clair Fredericks , who uses the stage name Taj Mahal, is an American Grammy Award winning blues musician. He incorporates elements of world music into his music...
. Other performance residencies include stints with Ahmad Jamal
Ahmad Jamal
Ahmad Jamal is an innovative and influential American jazz pianist, composer, and educator. According to Stanley Crouch, Jamal is second in importance in the development of jazz after 1945 only to Charlie Parker...
, Dave Liebman
Dave Liebman
Dave Liebman is an American saxophonist and flautist. In June 2010, he received a NEA Jazz Masters lifetime achievement award from the National Endowment for the Arts.-Biography:...
, Pee Wee Ellis
Pee Wee Ellis
Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis is an American saxophonist, composer and arranger. He was an important member of James Brown's band in the 1960s and appeared on many of Brown's most notable recordings...
, Jack DeJohnette
Jack DeJohnette
Jack DeJohnette is an American jazz drummer, pianist, and composer. He is one of the most influential jazz drummers of the 20th century, due to extensive work as leader and sideman for musicians like Miles Davis, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Keith Jarrett and Sonny...
, Gato Garcia, Don Alias
Don Alias
Charles 'Don' Alias was an American jazz percussionist.Alias was best known for playing congas and other hand drums...
, Freddie Hubbard
Freddie Hubbard
Frederick Dewayne "Freddie" Hubbard was an American jazz trumpeter. He was known primarily for playing in the bebop, hard bop and post bop styles from the early 1960s and on...
, The Fabulous Rhinestones, Harvey Brooks
Harvey Brooks
Harvey Brooks is an American bassist. He has played in many styles of music...
, Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer and vibraphone player. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Polydor Records beginning in the 1970s, during which he helped pioneer jazz-funk .- Biography :Ayers...
, Don Moye
Don Moye
Famoudou Don Moye, is an American jazz percussionist and drummer. He is most known for his involvement with the Art Ensemble of Chicago and is noted for his mastery of African and Caribbean percussion instruments and rhythmic techniques.- Early life and Detroit Free Jazz :Moye was born in...
, and his own groups, Rosewater Foundation, Afro Jazz Messengers, The Pan-African Drum Ensemble, The Juma Society, and Sounds of the Urban Forest.
He died in September, 2007, in Chicago, apparently of complications from malaria, at the age of 61.
As sideman
- 1969: Bitches BrewBitches BrewBitches Brew is a studio double album by jazz musician Miles Davis, released in April 1970 on Columbia Records. The album continued his experimentation with electric instruments previously featured on his critically acclaimed In a Silent Way album...
, Miles DavisMiles DavisMiles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,... - 1969: Black GoldBlack Gold (album)Black Gold is a live album by Jazz singer/pianist/songwriter Nina Simone recorded in 1969 at the Philharmonic Hall, New York.The album is especially notable because it features the civil rights anthem song "To Be Young Gifted And Black"...
, Nina SimoneNina SimoneEunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music... - 1971: Ubiquity, Roy AyersRoy AyersRoy Ayers is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer and vibraphone player. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Polydor Records beginning in the 1970s, during which he helped pioneer jazz-funk .- Biography :Ayers...
- 1971: Paul PenaPaul Pena (album)-Track listing:#"Woke Up This Morning" – 4:50#"I'm Gonna Make It Alright" – 4:07#"The River" – 6:03#"One for the Lonely" – 4:48#"Something to Make You Happy" – 7:05...
, Paul PenaPaul PenaPaul Pena was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist of Cape Verdean descent.His music from the first half of his career touched on Delta blues, jazz, morna, flamenco, folk and rock and roll... - 1971: CompostCompost (album)Compost is the eponymous debut album from Compost. It features Jack DeJohnette, Bob Moses, Harold Vick, Jack Gregg and Jumma Santos recorded in 1971 and released on Columbia Records....
, CompostCompost (band)Compost was an American jazz fusion ensemble, that released two albums for Columbia Records.[ Allmusic discography]Its members were Bob Moses, Harold Vick, Jumma Santos, Jack Gregg and Jack DeJohnette... - 1972: He's Coming, Roy AyersRoy AyersRoy Ayers is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer and vibraphone player. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Polydor Records beginning in the 1970s, during which he helped pioneer jazz-funk .- Biography :Ayers...
- 1973: Life is Round, Compost
- 1973: Andy PrattAndy Pratt (album)Andy Pratt is the second album by American singer-songwriter Andy Pratt. It is a raw, emotionally expressive and musically experimental album.-Track listing:All songs written by Andy Pratt, except where indicated.# "Avenging Annie" – 5:08...
, Andy Pratt - 1973: Live at Berkeley, Nina SimoneNina SimoneEunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
- 1976: David SanbornDavid Sanborn (album)David Sanborn is the second album by saxophonist David Sanborn.-Track listing:# "Indio"# "Smile"# "Mamacita"# "Herbs"# "Concrete Boogie"# "I Do It For Love"# "Sophisticated Squaw"# "7th Ave."-Personnel:*David Sanborn - saxophone...
, David SanbornDavid SanbornDavid Sanborn is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school... - 1979: The Love ConnectionThe Love ConnectionThe Love Connection is a 1979 album by jazz musician Freddie Hubbard. It was originally released on the Columbia label and features performances by Hubbard, Tom Scott, Buddy Collette, Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke with Al Jarreau providing vocals....
, Freddie HubbardFreddie HubbardFrederick Dewayne "Freddie" Hubbard was an American jazz trumpeter. He was known primarily for playing in the bebop, hard bop and post bop styles from the early 1960s and on... - 1992: Family Portrait, Victor LewisVictor LewisVictor Lewis is an American jazz drummer, a major force in the genre since the 1980s.-As leader:*1992: Family Portrait - with John Stubblefield, Edward Simon, Cecil McBee, Don Alias, Jumma Santos...