Brother Yusef

The path to Yusef Lateef was a journey into the unknown We were aware that he is one of the great maestros of jazz and one of the last of his generation still alive In an era of black culture that probably found its strongest form of expression in music he was a contemporary and companion of those musicians who helped to shape and renew jazz John Coltrane Dizzy Gillespie Charles Mingus Cannonball Adderley Now at the age of 84 Yusef Lateef lives withdrawn in his house in the woods somewhere in New England in a room full of musical instruments He still plays his saxophone today as he has done for most of his life Humbert Penzel