Two great drummers, two very different outcomes. Jazz was a part of New Orleans-born Idris Muhammad's upbringing early on, and he developed his hip, funky style during a stay in New York in the early 1960s, when he gigged with Roland Kirk, Kenny Dorham, Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan and most famously, Lou Donaldson.

Simultaneously able to appeal to jazz-funkers looking for a great night out as well as the spiritual jazz followers of Pharoah Sanders, Muhammad (pictured left) was in demand through his career, enjoying a long musical partnership with Ahmad Jamal in the late 1990s/early 2000s.

Black Rhythm Revolution! is his first and perhaps best effort as leader; his drumming is full of infectious momentum, resourceful rolls and greasy grooves, with trumpeter Virgil Jones in particular helping to turn up the heat and reedsman Thomas providing the frenetic arrangements. As one might expect, there are covers of contemporary funk hits (‘Express Yourself’, a truly badass ‘Super Bad’ and a gritty version of Brother Jack McDuff's ‘Soulful Drums’), but also Muhammad-penned tunes like the lengthy, roaring ‘Wander’ and the urgent, probing shuffle of ‘By The Red Sea’. All in all, proof of Muhammad's unique style of drumming.

Bernard ‘Pretty’ Purdie is, of course, an iconic sticksman, having invented the famous ‘Purdie shuffle’, with its use of triplets against a half-time backbeat; and for his breathtaking, microscopically-precise contributions to many a Steely Dan track.

His second album, Purdie Good!, again features covers of funk and pop hits (‘Cold Sweat’, ‘Montego Bay’, ‘Everybody's Talkin’’) and originals, but Purdie's compositions are nowhere near as strong as Muhammad's, and the covers don’t add anything to the originals. The result is an enjoyable, competent album which rather lacks spark; it gets the third star purely for Purdie's drumming, which is a joy to hear and a wonder to behold. Both these albums were recorded by Rudy Van Gelder and here, in all-analogue remasters by Kevin Gray, sound sensational.