James Mtume

James Forman (January 3, 1946 – January 9, 2022), known professionally as Mtume or James Mtume, was an American jazz and R&B 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, most notably by The Notorious B.I.G. on his hit "Juicy". Mtume, the band also had a top-five R&B hit with the single "You, Me, and He".

Life and career

Mtume was born James Forman on January 3, 1946, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the son of jazz saxophonist Jimmy Heath, and was raised by his mother, Bertha Forman, and his stepfather, a Philadelphia local jazz pianist, James "Hen Gates" Forman.

He grew up in a musical environment with jazz musicians frequenting his parents' house. He learned to play piano and percussion; however, from his teenage years, he was pursuing athletics as a swimmer, having achieved the title of the first black Middle Atlantic AAU champion in the backstroke, and in 1966, he entered Pasadena City College on a swimming scholarship.

In 1966, Mtume joined the US Organization, a Black empowerment group founded by Hakim Jamal and Maulana Karenga, while a student at Pasadena City College. Mtume received his name, which means "messenger" in Swahili, from Karenga, who gave members of the organisation names to match their personality traits. He was part of the group which celebrated the first Kwanzaa in 1966. In 1967, he co-edited The Quotable Karenga with Clyde Halisi, which has been called "the best expression of Karenga's ideas". Mtume left the US Organisation in 1969. In 1995, he met Louis Farrakhan and remained close to him until the end of his life.

Mtume's professional debut was on Kawaida, a 1969 album by his uncle, Albert Heath. His first recording released under his own name was Alkebu-lan: Land of the Blacks, recorded live at The East, a Black nationalist community arts and education center in Brooklyn, and released on Strata-East Records. Both albums were intended to merge free jazz and cultural identity.

After his return from the West Coast, he moved to New York City and had his first gigs as a sideman for McCoy Tyner (Asante album), Freddie Hubbard, and Miles Davis, whose group he wound up joining and playing in for the next few years.

With fellow Mtume band member Reggie Lucas, he won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song for writing and producing Stephanie Mills' top-ten hit "Never Knew Love Like This Before", for which she also won a Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

In 1994, Mtume created music for the show New York Undercover while also creating musical appearance opportunities for other artists on the show.

In July 2018, Mtume filed a lawsuit against Sony Music/Epic Records, hoping to reclaim the rights to two albums and his hit single "Juicy Fruit". Mtume claimed to hold the sole copyright of these recordings, while Sony insisted that the albums were made for hire.

Personal life and death

He was married for 55 years to Adrienne Young, whom he named "Kamili", which means "perfect, near perfection." They met at a US Organization gathering in Los Angeles in 1966. Mtume and Kamili raised five children and have five grandchildren. He died in South Orange, New Jersey, on January 9, 2022, at the age of 76.

Discography

James Mtume's discography includes:

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, 1973) – rec. 1971

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, 1976) – rec. 1975

The Complete On the Corner Sessions (Columbia, 2007)

Miles Davis at Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4 (Columbia Legacy, 2015)

With Jimmy Heath

The Gap Sealer (Muse, 1973)

The Time and the Place (Landmark, 1994) – rec. 1974

With Eddie Henderson

Heritage (Blue Note, 1976)

Comin' Through (Capitol, 1977)

Mahal (Capitol, 1978)

With Buddy Terry

Awareness (Mainstream, 1971)

Pure Dynamite (Mainstream, 1972)

With McCoy Tyner

Asante (Blue Note, 1974) – rec. 1970

Handscapes 2 (Strata-East, 1975) – rec. 1974

With others:

Art Farmer, Homecoming (Mainstream, 1971)

Carlos Garnett, Black Love (Muse, 1974)

Albert Heath, Kawaida (O'Be, 1970) – rec. 1969

Harold Land, A New Shade of Blue (Mainstream, 1971)

Azar Lawrence, Bridge into the New Age (Prestige, 1974)

Abbey Lincoln, People in Me (Philips, 1973)

Sonny Rollins, Nucleus (Milestone, 1975)

Lonnie Liston Smith, Astral Traveling (Flying Dutchman, 1973)

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

As composer

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

"Back Together Again" (1980) was written with Reggie Lucas. Performed by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway.

The score to the 1986 movie Native Son

As producer (with Reggie Lucas)

Stephanie Mills – What Cha' Gonna Do with My Lovin' (20th Century, 1979)

Phyllis Hyman – You Know How to Love Me (Arista, 1979)

Rena Scott – Come On Inside (Buddah, 1979)

Stephanie Mills – Sweet Sensation (20th Century, 1980)

Gary Bartz – Bartz (Arista, 1980)

Stephanie Mills – Stephanie (20th Century, 1981)

Marc Sadane – One Way Love Affair (Warner Bros., 1981)

Stephanie Mills – Tantalizingly Hot (Casablanca, 1982)

Lou Rawls – Now Is the Time (Epic, 1982)