Yusef Lateef The Sounds of Yusef

Yusef Lateef's music from the early '70s commands large doses of both appeal and skepticism. At a time when funk and fusion were merging with the intensely volatile and distrustful mood of the U.S., Lateef's brand of Detroit soul garnered new fans, and turned away those who preferred his earlier hard bop jazz or world music innovations. Thus The Gentle Giant is an appropriate title, as Lateef's levitational flute looms large over the rhythm & blues beats central to the equation. Kenny Barron's Fender Rhodes electric piano is also a sign of the times, an entry point introducing him to the contemporary jazz scene, and on that point alone is historically relevant. The post-Bitches Brew, pre-Weather Report/Headhunters time period is to be considered, and how this music put Lateef in many respects to the forefront of the movement…

Avid Jazz presents four classic Yusef Lateef albums including original LP liner notes on a finely re-mastered double CD. “Jazz for the Thinker”; Eastern Sounds”; Other Sounds” and “Into Something”.
Currently only available on vinyl LP, Avid are pleased to make “Jazz for the Thinker” available as part of our ongoing “Four Classic Albums” series. To quote from the original liner notes regarding the music within this debut album… ”their music combines elements of the current “hard bop” approach with Afro - Asiatic tinges, a needed sense of dynamics and extended form, plus a sense of humour and joi de vivre, so seldom found in today’s jazz”…

Yusef Lateef - Other Sounds (1957) {New Jazz OJCCD-399-2 rel 1989}
XLD rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 183 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 88 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 7 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1957, 1989 New Jazz / Fantasy | OJCCD-399-2
Jazz / Hard Bop / World Jazz / Saxophone / Flute

Other Sounds was the first album on which Yusef Lateef looked beyond the confines of jazz and popular music to hear and perhaps "sing" the music he heard from the East. He hadn't yet embraced it, but it intrigued him enough to employ the use of an argol on this recording. Lateef's band on this date featured flügelhorn giant Wilbur Harden, pianist Hugh Lawson (who also played Turkish finger cymbals), bassist Ernie Farrow (who doubled on rebob), and drummer Oliver Jackson, who used an "earth-board" as well as his kit.

Yusef Lateef - The Gentle Giant (1972) {2013 Japan Jazz Best Collection 1000 Series WPCR-27480}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (image)+CUE+LOG -> 218 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 87 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 17 Mb | 5% repair rar | 24-bit remaster
© 1972, 2013 Atlantic / Warner Japan / Rhino | WPCR-27480 | Jazz Best Collection 1000 Series
Jazz / Hard Bop / Soul Jazz / Jazz Funk / Saxophone / Flute

Features 24 bit remastering and comes with a mini-description. Yusef Lateef's music from the early '70s commands large doses of both appeal and skepticism. At a time when funk and fusion were merging with the intensely volatile and distrustful mood of the U.S., Lateef's brand of Detroit soul garnered new fans, and turned away those who preferred his earlier hard bop jazz or world music innovations. Thus The Gentle Giant is an appropriate title, as Lateef's levitational flute looms large over the rhythm & blues beats central to the equation. Kenny Barron's Fender Rhodes electric piano is also a sign of the times, an entry point introducing him to the contemporary jazz scene, and on that point alone is historically relevant.