James Mtume

Percussionist, songwriter, producer, and bandleader James Mtume was a major force behind some of the most advanced, commercially successful, and subsequently sampled jazz and R&B released during the 1970s and '80s. His career encompassed pioneering acoustic and electric avant-garde jazz, quiet storm classics, post-disco club hits, and compositions for film and television. Mtume helped propel Miles Davis' early electric period with his hands, and then with his pen and production work, he and partner Reggie Lucas bolstered the careers of artists such as Roberta Flack and Donny H...