Juma Santos

Juma Santos, also known as Jumma Santos (January 15, 1948 – September 2007), born James P. Riley, 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.

Biography

Born in Massachusetts, 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, Jimi Hendrix, Harvey Brooks, Roy Ayers, Don Moye, and his own groups, Rosewater Foundation, Afro Jazz Messengers, the Pan-African Drum Ensemble, the Jumma Society and Sounds of the Urban Forest. Juma Santos was also a fine painter who had had several successful exhibitions.

He died in September 2007, in Chicago, apparently of complications from malaria, at the age of 59 and mainly because his religious beliefs did not allow him to use traditional Western medicine when he became ill.

Discography

As sideman

• 1969: Bitches Brew, Miles Davis
• 1969: Black Gold, Nina Simone
• 1971: Ubiquity, Roy Ayers
• 1971: Paul Pena, Paul Pena
• 1971: Compost, Compost
• 1972: He's Coming, Roy Ayers
• 1973: Life is Round, Compost
• 1973: Geechee Recollections, Marion Brown
• 1973: Lawrence of Newark, Larry Young
• 1973: Andy Pratt, Andy Pratt
• 1973: Live at Berkeley, Nina Simone
• 1976: David Sanborn, David Sanborn
• 1977: Beyond the Rain, Chico Freeman
• 1979: The Love Connection, Freddie Hubbard
• 1992: Family Portrait, Victor Lewis

References

External links