Jamaaladeen Tacuma is a trailblazing bassist, producer, and composer from Philadelphia whose innovative and funky free approach first caught the attention of Ornette Coleman in the 1970s, leading to his role in Coleman’s Prime Time Band and appearances on historic recordings like Dancing in Your Head and Of Human Feelings. Since then, Tacuma has become a supremely versatile artist, lending his signature sound to legends such as Grover Washington Jr., Max Roach, James Carter, Carlos Santana, Sheryl Crow, The Roots, and Jeff Beck, while also leading over 25 albums of his own with more than 120 original compositions. His career reflects an openness to all genres—from jazz and soul to classical, hip-hop, and world music—resulting in collaborations with ensembles ranging from Moroccan Gnaoua groups to Turkish orchestras, Korean percussion ensembles, and Australian icons The Wiggles, with whom he earned an ARIA Award nomination.

Beyond the stage, Tacuma is a cultural ambassador whose career embodies music’s power to bridge cultures. He has performed on nearly every continent, from major international festivals like North Sea Jazz, Newport, Berlin, and Montreal to world-class venues including Carnegie Hall, Apollo Theater, and Lincoln Center. His contributions have been recognized with honors such as the Pew Arts & Heritage Fellowship, Liberty Bell Medal, and Jazz Journalists Association “Philadelphia Jazz Hero Award.” Now serving as Cultural Ambassador for the Third Way Cultural Alliance, Tacuma continues to record, tour, and teach worldwide, elevating both the art of the bass and the legacy of Philadelphia’s Black music culture.