Eastern Sounds

Infobox Album
Name = Eastern Sounds
Type = studio
Artist = Yusef Lateef


Released = 1961
Recorded = 21 December 1960
Genre = Hard bop
Jazz fusion
Length = 39:54
Label = Prestige
Producer =
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:vyom962odepo~T1]
Last album = Lost in Sound
(1961)
This album = Eastern Sounds
(1961)
Next album = Into Something
(1961)

"Eastern Sounds" is an album by jazz saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef, recorded in 1961. The album features Lateef's continued exploration of Indian music, which were incorporated into his distinct brand of soulful hard bop with a quartet featuring Barry Harris on piano. The opening track features Lateef on Chinese globular flute [ [http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=17716 All About Jazz] ] , generally called the xun [ [http://www.naxos.com/reviews/David_review_corner_JUN.asp Naxos] ] , which moves into a standard blues progression in D. The fusing of musical genres was not a new thing in jazz or for Lateef as his 1957 Prayer to the East incorporated the shehnai and Middle Eastern influences in playing jazz standards. [ [http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/music/other_stories/documents/01699102.htm Boston Phoenix] ] Furthermore John Coltrane was experimenting with the Indian modes with his quintet by the time of this album, but had yet to record any of these in the studio. Aside from Lateef's original compositions, there are covers of themes from the films "Spartacus" and "The Robe".

Track listing

#"The Plum Blossom" (Lateef) –5:03
#"Blues for the Orient" (Lateef) –5:40
#"Chinq Miau" (Lateef) –3:20
#"Don't Blame Me" (Fields–McHugh) –4:57
#"Love Theme from "Spartacus" (North) –4:15
#"Snafu" (Lateef) –5:42
#"Purple Flower" (Lateef) –4:32
#"Love Theme from "The Robe" (Newman) –4:02
#"The Three Faces of Balal" (Lateef) –2:23

Personnel

*Yusef Lateef — flute, oboe, tenor saxophone, xun (called "Chinese globular flute" in liner notes)
*Barry Harris — piano
*Ernie Farrow — double bass, Rabaab (called rabat in liner notes)
*Lex Humphries — drums

Web sources