Yusef Lateef – The Dreamer + The Fabric Of Jazz

Originally on the scene as a tenor saxophonist with the bands of Lucky Millinder, Hot Lips Page, Dizzy Gillespie and others in the late 1940s, Yusef Lateef spent most of the 1950s leading his own combo, studying at Wayne University, and taking up flute and oboe. “I started using them in Detroit, to get rid of the monotony,” said Lateef, “this was one of the initial thoughts. After all, basically, music is just sound, in my opinion, any sounds of definite pitch.”
Lateef’s exploration in the areas of rhythm and intriguing sounds was a natural blending of straightforward jazz and Eastern music. His versatility as instrumentalist and composer is self-evident in this 1959 session produced for Savoy and originally issued in two albums, “The Dreamer” and “The Fabric of Jazz.” On tenor, Lateef swings hard, with a surging muscular tone, while his flute work is warm and deft, and his oboe playing consistently interesting. Bernard McKinney’s euphonium solos are marked by melodic invention, while the rhythm section is excellent throughout, with pianist Terry Pollard really shining in a set of fine, furious, and striking piano solos, with solid support from William Austin and Frank Gant.

Tracklisting:
1. The Dreamer - 6:50   2. Oboe Blues - 5:48   3. Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man (Kern-Hammerstein) - 8:01   4. Arjuna - 7:37   5. Angel Eyes (Dennis-Brendt) - 5:11   6. Moon Tree - 5:46   7. Stella by Starlight (Young-Washington) - 5:50   8. Half Breed - 8:36   9. Poor Butterfly (Hubbell-Golden) - 6:38   10. Valse Bouk - 4:17

Sources:
Tracks #1-5, from the album “The Dreamer” (Savoy MG 12139)
Tracks #6-10, from the album “The Fabric of Jazz” (Savoy MG 12140)

Personnel: 
Bernard McKinney (euphonium) , Yusef Lateef (tenor sax, flute, oboe) , Terry Pollard (piano) , William Austin (bass) , Frank Gant (drums)
Recorded at Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey, on June 11, 1959

Original recordings produced by Ozzie Cadena
Recording engineer: Rudy Van Gelder
Savoy cover design: Julius Fanta 
This CD release produced by Jordi Pujol