Four Classic Albums Plus (Jazz Mood / Before Dawn / The Dreamer / Cry Tender)

Recorded in April 1957 Yusef Lateef is again heard introducing strange and exotic world instruments on "Jazz Mood". Yusef himself can be heard on tenor sax, flute, argol and scraper! Curtis Fuller on trombone, tambourine and finger cymbals, Ernie Farrow on bass and Rabat with Hugh Lawson on piano and Louis Hayes on drums. Yusef composes seven of the eight selections on our next album "Before Dawn", a quintet recording from 1957, the eighth coming from a certain Charles Parker Jnr. Musicians featured include Curtis Fuller on trombone, Hugh Lawson on piano, Ernie Farrow on bass and Louis Hayes on drums. A quintet again for the more bluesier album "The Dreamer" featuring Yusef on tenor sax, flute, oboe and argol, Bernard McKinney on euphonium, Terry Pollard on piano, William Austin on bass and Frank Gant on drums. We urge you to read the original liner notes to this album as we feel they are highly descriptive of the albums qualities. We are certain they will make you just want to sit back and enjoy the wonderful music making from a fine band who know each other very well and are enjoying playing in one another's company. Having started our set with one of Yusef's more esoteric sounding albums, for "Cry Tender" we return to more "straight Motor City jazz combined with an added delicacy in the playing...you will hear Yusef on the oboe for the first time". Yusef himself is quoted on the original liner notes " I have no definitive set path in front of me. I am trying to see that everything I do is sincere and not for effect".

All four albums plus have been digitally re-mastered.