Sad to see him go, but he had a good long life, playing music that touched so many. This recording was made around the time I first was digging him. Lex Humphries is on drums, someone I met a few times that year (1961) and dug, Barry Harris on piano and Ernie Farrow on bass.
Lean, crisp and straight ahead version of one of the great movie themes (Spartacus), seemingly made for jazz (Ahmad Jamal and Bill Evans interpreted it beautifully as well). I first heard Lateef live on sax and flute, but here he is on oboe (and a few years later my first wife, Lee, and I named a stray kitten we took in Yusef! You remember, Willy?):
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3 comments:
weez gittin old,,,,,,too
& there iz no bout-uh-doubt-it
I've been a fan of Lateef since back in the days when he played with Cannonball Adderly.
Here's a little story that shows what kind of person Lateef was.
About 10 or so years ago, the pianist Kenny Barron was in Toledo and gave a talk and demonstration of different piano styles and afterwards did a Q & A session.
I knew he had played with Lateef as a young man and I asked him what it was like travelling and playing with him. He laughed and answered that most of the sidemen were young musicians who were also going to school and that several of the gigs were in nightclubs.
And the agreement was that they couldn't drink and they had to study and do homework during breaks and while travelling and Yusef stayed on top of things to make sure that is what happened.
I think Barron said he was 18 or 19 at the time.
Bob
love that story Bob, thanks
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