Search - Yusef Lateef :: Eastern Sounds

Top-notch Yusef Lateef sounds

Sweet Psychadelic Orange | the twin cities of Minnesota | 01/12/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you are going to buy a Yusef Lateef album, this is the one to get. It blends an amazing sense of experimentation with the cool, structured sound that Lateef knows like the back of his hand.



All the solos are amazing, in particular Lateef's. Among the more memorable songs are the two love themes, "Snafu", and "Blues For The Orient", although perhaps the freshest and catchiest track is "The Plum Blossom," a smooth, beautiful introduction to the album highlighted by Barry Harris' gorgeous piano language, tabla-like percussion, and Lateef in all his glory.



Upon first listen, Eastern Sounds may seem to be a little bit too much of an exoticization for Lateef to mold well - but the album grows on listeners like nothing else he has done."

Astonishing

Dawoud Kringle | New York City | 03/25/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yusef's ability to offer a perfectly executed musical note, one that resonates to the depths of your soul, is in itself evidence of the Creator's handiwork. His offering on this recording is sheer beauty.

When Yusef plays a simple melody, he makes each note, each phrse speak volumes. When he plays "out", he is not like most who sound like they're searching for something: he found it. He knows what he's doing.

A truly civilized nation would recognize him as a national treasure."

GREAT ALBUM

COMPUTERJAZZMAN | Cliffside Park, New Jersey United States | 12/10/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"THERE ARE A FEW THINGS I HAVE ALWYAS LIKED ABOUT THE MUSIC OF YUSEF LATEEF. THE FIRST THING IS THAT HE PLAYS MELODIES, NOT JUST A LOT OF "NOTES". ANOTHER THING IS THAT HIS VISION OF MUSIC NEVER HAD ANY BOUNDARIES AS FAR AS STYLE OR CONTEXT. HE IS ON EOF THE EARLIEST JAZZ MUSICIANS TO EXPLORE MUSIC FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, AND HE COULD STILL PLAY A MEAN BALLAD , TOO (CHECK OUT "BLUES FOR THE ORIENT"). HE WAS NEVER AFRAID TO I HAVE A LOT OF HIS OLD RECORDS AND THIS ONE IS TRULY EXCEPTIONAL, ONE OF HIS BEST. YUSEF LATEEF AND RAHSAAN ROLAND KIRK WERE SIMILAR IN THAT THEY BOTH PLAYED A LOT OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS, AND PLAYED EVERYTHING FROM DIXIELAND, RAGTIME, BE-BOP, BALLADS, MORE MODERN MUSIC, AND "WORLD MUSIC". RANDY WESTON, TOO, BUT HE PLAYS KEYBOARDS."