Yusef Lateef

To say that Yusef Lateef has had a remarkable career would be a major understatement. Lateef, who celebrates his 90th birthday this year, was recently honored as a 2010 NEA Jazz Master. On the tenor, flute and oboe he has an inimitable voice, and along with Miles Davis and John Coltrane, he was a trailblazer of modal jazz. Although he had stints with Dizzy Gillespie, Cannonball Adderley and Charles Mingus, Lateef has primarily been a leader throughout his career with over 70 innovative albums to his credit. He was one of the first to emerge from mainstream jazz and explore “world” music, on his landmark 1961 Prestige record Eastern Sounds. And he had a great run of classic releases on the Impulse! label from 1964-66. Rather than use the word “jazz,” Lateef prefers to call his music “autophysiopsychic,” meaning, “that which comes from one's spiritual, physical and emotional self.” And what better place than Grace Cathedral to continue this journey? Providing subtle support will be Yusef’s frequent collaborator, percussionist Adam Rudolph....

read more

To say that Yusef Lateef has had a remarkable career would be a major understatement. Lateef, who celebrates his 90th birthday this year, was recently honored as a 2010 NEA Jazz Master. On the tenor, flute and oboe he has an inimitable voice, and along with Miles Davis and John Coltrane, he was a trailblazer of modal jazz. Although he had stints with Dizzy Gillespie, Cannonball Adderley and Charles Mingus, Lateef has primarily been a leader throughout his career with over 70 innovative albums to his credit. He was one of the first to emerge from mainstream jazz and explore “world” music, on his landmark 1961 Prestige record Eastern Sounds. And he had a great run of classic releases on the Impulse! label from 1964-66. Rather than use the word “jazz,” Lateef prefers to call his music “autophysiopsychic,” meaning, “that which comes from one's spiritual, physical and emotional self.” And what better place than Grace Cathedral to continue this journey? Providing subtle support will be Yusef’s frequent collaborator, percussionist Adam Rudolph.

show less