Yusef LATEEF - Before Dawn 1957 (REPOST)

Yusef LATEEF - Before Dawn  1957 (REPOST)
Label: Verve / Polygram Records

Jazz
 
Listening to Yusef Lateef's tenor sax work on BEFORE DAWN, and on many of his other great sets from the fifties and early sixties, it's difficult indeed to understand how he could have remained in such relative obscurity through those years even with such shining lights as Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane on the scene. That he remains pretty well outside the mainstream jazz pantheon to this day is likewise a surprising and disappointing state of affairs. In any case, this album, which as far as I know has once again become unavailable after being reissued in a limited edition some five years ago, offers a far more compelling argument for Lateef's inclusion in the Saxophone Hall of Fame than anything I or anyone else might write. With seven of the eight titles being originals, it also offers a fine taste of his compositional skills, which have likewise been unduly overlooked by much of the jazz world. From the lilting beauty of "Love Is Eternal" to the gritty workouts on "Pike's Peak" and "Twenty-Five Minute Blues," the up-on-your-feet cacophony of "Chang Chang Chang" to the early Eastern experimentation of the title track, this is Lateef the tenorman at his absolute best. We are also treated to a standout flute performance on "Open Strings," with pianist Hugh Lawson switching to celeste to further enhance the atmosphere. By turns intelligent, warm, humorous and impassioned, this is one of the finest 1950s jazz albums I've heard - and I've heard a lot of them. If you can find this one, I'd strongly suggest adding it to your collection.
By Richard B. Luhrs.
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This is one of the most obscure of all Yusef Lateef recordings, one that has even been left out of some discographies. Lateef mostly sticks to tenor (playing only flute on one song and making one appearance on the double-reed arghul) and is featured with his Detroit All-Stars, a quintet also including the up-and-coming trombonist Curtis Fuller, pianist Hugh Lawson, bassist Ernie Farrow and drummer Louis Hayes. Overall, the set is more bop-oriented than normal, with versions of "Pike's Peak" (based on "What Is This Thing Called Love"), Charlie Parker's "Constellation" and the blues "Chang, Chang, Chang" showing how strong and original Lateef could be even playing conventional straight-ahead material. Some of the other pieces look toward the future and/or the East, and all eight selections have their memorable moments, with the passionate yet thoughtful ballad "Love Is Eternal" being among the high points. Recommended.
By Scott Yanow. AMG.
**
Curtis Fuller- (Trombone)
Yusef Lateef- (Tenor Sax, Flute)
Hugh Lawson- (Piano, Celesta)
Ernie Farrow- (Bass)
Louis Hayes- (Drums)
**
01. Passion    4:04
02. Love Is Eternal    6:30
03. Pike's Peak    5:30
04. Open Strings    6:15
05. Before Dawn    5.27
06. Twenty-Five Minute Blues    5.27
07. Chang, Chang, Chang    2.57
08. Constellation     4.47
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