Yusef Lateef – Live at Pep’s (June 29, 1964, Grp Records)

Recorded live at Pep’s Lounge in Philadelphia on June 29th, 1964, Lateef is here at his best. He combines his proclivity for musical eccentricity with a number of hard-swinging tunes. As usual, he plays not only tenor saxophone, but flute, oboe, and a very obscure instrument called an argol (a double clarinet that resembles a bassoon). He’s backed by Richard Williams on trumpet, Mike Nock on piano, Ernie Farrow on bass and James Black on drums, and this group really shines on bluesy versions of “Brother John” and “Nu-Bouk”.
The ballads, “I Loved” and “I Remember Clifford” are lovely, subtle and filled with brilliant climaxes and melodious tenderness. Other tracks such as “The Magnolia Triangle” and “Listen to the Wind” push the boundaries of hard bop, as Lateef and crew experiment with moments of harsh dissonance bordering on atonality. An extremely creative and well-conceived set of music, Live at the Pep’S delves into the very heart of jazz, for it seeks to push the envelope of spontaneity and improvisation and stretch one’s concept of structure and form. Mr. Lateef draws from a wide range of influences and uses the oboe to great effect on this set. Some of the more out there instruments argo and shannas are put to use and end giving a distinct feel to his musical selections

   Volume 1

 1. Sister Mamie

2. Number 7

3. Twelve Tone Blues

4. Oscarlypso – (previously unreleased)

5. Gee Sam Gee – (previously unreleased)

6. Rogi – (previously unreleased)

7. See See Rider

8. Magnolia Triangle, The

9. Weaver, The

10. Slippin’ & Slidin’

 Volume 2

1. Brother John
2. P-Bouk
3. Nu-Bouk
4. Yusef’s Mood
5. I Remember Clifford
6. Listen To The Wind
7. I Loved
8. Delilah
9. The Magnolia Triangle (Alternative Version)

Personnel:
Yusef Lateef  (tenor sax, oboe, argo, and shannas)
Richard Williams  (trumpet)
Mike Nock  (piano)
Ernie Farrow  (bass)
James Black  (drums).

Recorded live at Pep’s Lounge, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 29, 1964 

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