"Crab Apple"by Idris Muhammad

Legendary jazz drummer Idris Muhammad serves up some delicious funk on his smooth instrumental “Crab Apple.” The song boasts a killer arrangement, with sterling horn charts and phat bass. Muhammad anchors the groove with a cold beat, while tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker heightens the funk with a fantastic solo. Guitarist Hiram Bullock's wicked licks electrify the groove, and Cliff Carter contributes a scorching synth solo. With this cut, Muhammad showed that his funk game was super strong.

“Crab Apple” is a track from Muhammad’s fifth studio album Turn This Mutha Out, released in 1977. It was written, arranged and produced by David Matthews, who also produced the entire album. The collection was released on Kudu, a subsidiary of CTI Records. 

Per WhoSampled.com, “Crab Apple” has been sampled on 23 songs, including “Crooked Ass Nigga” (2Pac, featuring Stretch), “Big Booty Hoes” (The Notorious B.I.G., featuring Too Short) and “Black Jesus” (Schoolly D).

The full personnel on “Crab Apple” was Wilbur Bascomb (bass), Idris Muhammad (drums), David Tofani (soprano saxophone), Hiram Bullock (guitar), Ronnie Cuber (baritone saxophone), Sue Evans (percussion), Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone), Cliff Carter (synthesizer) and Charlie Brown (guitar).

"Crab Apple" available at Amazon

Related blog entry: Turn This Mutha Out by Idris Muhammad