Yusef Lateef - The Man with the Big Front Yard (1998/2019) [3 CD, FLAC]

 During the last half century, Yusef Lateef has successively reinvented himself as a swing-era tenor, world-music pioneer, and orchestral composer. Now 32 Jazz has reissued the cream of his Atlantic recordings on The Man with the Big Front Yard. This three-disc set offers a superb look at Lateef's quick-change artistry. A cut like "Kongsberg" finds the saxophonist in a hard-bop mood, leading an able quartet through his own gospel-flavored composition. Elsewhere Lateef deploys a bigger, funkier ensemble--indeed, the 1969 sessions originally issued as Yusef Lateef's Detroit feature percolating performances by the likes of pianist Eric Gale and Bernard Purdie. And a delicate arrangement of "Come Sunday," which spotlights the leader's flute alongside Kermit Moore's cello, anticipates the chamber music that this protean artist would produce throughout the 1970s.

Yusef Lateef with Art Farmer - Autophysiopsychic (1997/2017/FLAC-HD)

In 1977, the genius Latif, who developed a unique musicality that transcended genres by fusing jazz, blues, R & B, world music, etc., and made full use of all lead instruments such as saxophone and flute, was at CTI. With a funky fusion touch sound arranged by David Matthews, saxophone, flute, shakuhachi, vocals, and Art Farmer's flugelhorn are also featured, a danceable but unique world view.

 

Recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City on October 19, 20 & 21, 1977

• Yusef Lateef - flute, tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, shahnai, vocals
• Art Farmer - flugelhorn
• Clifford Carter - keyboards
• Eric Gale - electric guitar
• Gary King - electric bass
• Jim Madison - drums
• Sue Evans - percussion
• Frank Floyd, Babi Floyd, Milt Grayson, Norberto Jones - backing vocals

01 - Robot Man 06:39

02 - Look on the Right Side 05:10

03 - Yl 07:58

04 - Communication 09:23

05 - Sister Mamie 10:06

Yusef Lateef - Yusef's Mood : Complete 1957 Sessions with Hugh Lawson (4 CD, 2008/FLAC)

 

This massive four-disc set of Yusef Lateef's first recordings as a leader was issued by Spain's Fresh Sound imprint and contains a total of eight different records, all but one recorded under the guidance of engineer Rudy Van Gelder for the Savoy, Verve, and Prestige/New Jazz imprints. Considering he was 37 when he began recording as a leader -- and had served tenures in New York with Hot Lips Page, Roy Eldridge, and Ernie Fields -- Lateef was fully developed as a composer and arranger. His band for these sessions is stellar. His Detroit crew was comprised of monsters even as the band mutated a bit: the original unit featured Lateef with trombonist Curtis Fuller, bassist Ernie Farrow, pianist Hugh Lawson, and drummer Louis Hayes. Changes would take place later in the year: Oliver Jackson replaced Hayes, and flugelhorn boss Wilbur Harden took over the chair vacated by Fuller. In the Lateef vision, these differences were all part of the plan: exploring his passions in uniting African and Asian folk traditions with American music.