Yusef Lateef (1920–2013) was a Detroit-raised American jazz multi-instrumentalist and composer, among the first to bring non-Western instruments and modes into jazz. Eastern Sounds (1961) is the prized entry point — tenor sax, flute, and oboe pointing the way toward world jazz decades early. Find Yusef Lateef vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Yusef Lateef (1920-2013) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and educator. Born William Emanuel Huddleston and raised in Detroit, he converted to Islam and took the name Yusef Lateef. A pioneer of what is sometimes called world jazz, he was among the first jazz musicians to incorporate non-Western instruments and modes into his work. He recorded extensively from the 1950s onward and was also an accomplished author and academic.
Lateef played tenor saxophone, flute, and oboe, as well as instruments such as the argol, shanai, and various flutes from around the world. His music blended hard bop and modal jazz with Middle Eastern, African, and Asian influences, anticipating later world-music fusions. He described his later work as autophysiopsychic music, reflecting his spiritual and philosophical approach.
Lateef's Prestige, Impulse!, and Atlantic recordings are collected by jazz enthusiasts, with Eastern Sounds a particularly prized title. Original pressings and audiophile reissues of his work circulate among collectors of spiritual and world-influenced jazz.
Listeners new to Yusef Lateef often start with Eastern Sounds (1961). For related listening, see and .
