In early 2008, just months after I started JazzWax, I listened to Yusef Lateef's 1968 album The Golden Flute and fell in love with it. So much so that I wanted to interview him. But when I went to his site, I came face to face with a black-and-white photo of Yusef set under an ominous sky. Yusef seemed to be put out, glaring at the lens (photo below). Daunting, for sure, but I called him anyway.
We spent an hour on the phone, and Yusef turned out to be a warm and lovely guy, nothing like the image in the photo. Which is true of most jazz greats. The cool detachment is really part of the music's branding and rarely true of the artists on an individual basis. I do remember he gently explained that he didn't like the word jazz because it carried with it connotations that debased the exceptional quality and emotionalism of the music and artists. Instead, he called it autophysiopsychic music.
Yet he didn't hold it against me over the name of my blog nor was he preachy in explaining his reasoning. What's more, Yusef's explanation made perfect sense if that was your perspective. You can read my three-part interview here (this link takes you to Part 1; links to subsequent parts can be found above the red date at the top of each post). [Photo above of Yusef Lateef in 1977 by ©Veryl Oakland]
I tell you all of this about Yusef because among the many offerings for Record Store Day (April 20), Elemental Music—co-founded by Jordi Soley and Carlos Agustín Calembert—is issuing Yusef Lateef: Atlantis Lullaby. Produced for release by Zev Feldman, the 180-gram double-LP set features a newly unearthed live performance by the exceptional Yusef Lateef Quartet in Avignon, France, in July 1972. The group here consists of Yusef (ss,ts,fl), Kenny Barron (p), Bob Cunningham (b) and Albert "Tootie" Heath (d,Indian flute on Lowland Lullaby). Tootie passed away on April 3. [Photo above of Kenny Barron by (c)Tom Copi]
The music on this set ranges from a march-time blues (Yusef's Mood), a folk ballad (Lowland Lullaby) and a suite (The Untitled) to soul-jazz (Eboness), modal (Inside Atlantis) and a standard (I'm Getting Sentimental Over You). In addition, the tracks show off Yusef's mastery of three instruments plus Kenny Barron's piano virtuosity. Bob Cunningham's bass and Tootie's drums are noteworthy as well for their solo turns and engaging intricacy. [Photo above of Bob Cunningham]
The tracks:
- Inside Atlantis (Kenny Barron)
- A Flower (Kenny Barron)
- Yusef's Mood (Yusef Lateef)
- Lowland Lullaby (Albert Heath)
- Eboness (Roy Brooks)
- I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
- The Untitled (Kenny Barron)
Important new music from an acoustic quartet that found work opportunities, artistic freedom and a highly receptive audience in Europe in 1972. Audio archeology continues to amaze as new jazz concert and studio recordings are found in Europe. [Photo above of Albert "Tootie" Heath]
JazzWax tracks: This vinyl set will be available only on April 20 at your local record store. To find a record store near you, go here.
You'll find the two-CD set available starting on April 26 here.
