Brother Yusef

Yusef Lateef (1920-2013) had a long and productive life, performing bebop with Dizzy Gillespie’s big band, soul jazz with Cannonball Adderley’s sextet in 1962-63, and leading groups that explored hard bop, aspects of World Music, New Age and music that cannot be categorized.

Lateef was a master of the tenor-sax, flute and oboe and had a musical curiosity that lasted throughout his life.

The Brother Yusef documentary, directed by Nicolas Humbert and Werner Penzel, mostly features Lateef late in life talking about his career and beliefs, and playing his various horns (particularly his tenor) and piano unaccompanied.

-Scott Yanow