YUSEF LATEEF- “KOKO’S TUNE”
When people ask who my favorite saxophonists are, Yusef Lateef is always among my first responses. in the solo below, you can hear why he’s so impressive to me. he’s such a patient and deliberate improviser, he reminds me of Oliver Nelson in that respect. there’s always that blues element in his lines. the thing i love most is how he shapes his notes. he constantly tweaks them with subtle tonguing, bends, smears and slurs. he also might split a note by over blowing it, or add a throaty growl to it. he constantly blurs the edges of his sound, adding a bit of ambiguity and dissonance to his lines. he sings, in other words. his solos have the quality of slow-simmering pot of something or other, sitting at the back of the stove- makes the whole kitchen smell funky..! the song “Koko’s Tune” is from Lateef’s very nice record, INTO SOMETHING which features Barry Harris on piano, Herman Wright on bass and Elvin Jones on drums. great blues head. it’s played as a trio without Harris and is a nice chance to hear Lateef stretch out like he’s sitting in his den on his favorite recliner…
YUSEF LATEEF
MELODY AND SOLO FROM KOKO’S TUNE (mp3)
Tags: BARRY HARRIS, ELVIN JONES, HERMAN WRIGHT, JAZZ LEAD SHEET, SAXOPHONE, TRANSCRIPTION, YUSEF LATEEF
April 2nd, 2010 at 12:30 am
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