Jazz multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef died Monday 23 December at age 93. He was among the first to incorporate world music into jazz. Rest in peace.
Jazz multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef died Monday 23 December at age 93. He was among the first to incorporate world music into jazz. Rest in peace.
We're trying to build a monument to show that we were here
It won't be visible through the air
And there won't be any shade to cool the monument to prove that we were here. - Gene Parsons, 1973
Ah man, I LOVED Yusef. His "Live Humble" was a killer track, "Blue Lateef" a great disc. "The Diverse Yusef lateef" was my very first jazz LP purchase I think. Bummer. 93 huh? He didn't do too badly for himself.
Oh CRAP... So sad. I LOVE his stuff.
RIP: YL
Thanks for the music.
I'll play "Eastern Sounds" in remembrance of a great player and because it's a great record.
Rest In Peace Yusef Lateef.
"please do not understand me too quickly"-andre gide
An odd, secondhand prog connection: Apparently Toby Driver studied with him in college, and Kayo Dot's all-over-the-place approach is something Toby picked up from Yusef's philosophy of music.
I've been exploring the many diversities of Jazz this past year, but the one or two Yusef albums I've heard have been intriguing and he's on my list to explore further. --Peter
RIP Mr. Lateef. Master musician, scholar, wise man, and gentle soul.
RIP Yussef...
And thanks for the music.
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
I unpacked a box of records yesterday and found sealed copies of Cecil Taylor, Illinois Jacket, and Eastern Sounds by Yusef Lateef. Don't know whether to crack it open or look if I have another copy somewhere...
Lateef had big ears and opened others' as well.
Very prominent in the jazz/world music community here in Western Mass, where he made his home while teaching at Umass Amherst.
Also that alleged "astral-mental channelling" of note-drops when Driver writes the contemplative ambient-orchestral textures for the band (which are essentially quite dense, btw). Apparently the whole of Dot's third album, Blue Lambency Downward, was made with this specific "method" in mind. Although I wouldn't get at just what it's about in practice, except for some sort of meditation or whatever.
"Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
"[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM
Yeah, Lateef's promotion of something he called "autophysiopsychic music" had more than a whiff of bullshit to it.
Bummer for sure. A unique artist. Rest in Peace,Yusef...
Much as if we'd wish these guys would live forever and keep making fantastic music, we realize that they have to go sometime. 93 years old, he lived a long life and produced a lot of great music which us fans can listen to anytime. Thanks Yusef for all the great music. May you RIP. Who was it who that said "when I die I won't be creating music anymore, but I'll be music."?
I highly recommend his Yusef Lateef's Detroit album.
...and Psychicemotus, Eastern Sounds, and The Sounds of Yusef.
Hell, they ain't even old-timey ! - Homer Stokes
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