This is a biographical overview of jazz musician Yusef Lateef, who was born William Evans. He is not to be confused with Bill Evans the jazz pianist, or another tenor saxophonist named Bill Evans, also born in 1920. Although best known as a tenor saxophon- ist, Lateef is also known for his experimental work with wind instruments such as the sahnai (a North Indian oboe), arghul (a double clarinet), rabat, and various bamboo flutes of his own design.
Born in Chattanooga, TN, Evans moved with his family to Detroit in 1925, and in 1938 started playing saxophone, studying with Teddy Buckner. After graduating from Detroit's Miller High School, he started touring with the bands of Lucky Milinder, Hot Lips page, Roy Eldridge, Herbie Fields (1946-48), and Dizzy Gillespie (1949-50). Returning to Detroit in 1950, he studied flute and composition at Wayne State University.
It was when he started recording in 1955 that he took the Muslim name Yusef Lateef. From 1955 to 1959, he recorded with his own quintets for Savoy, Prestige and Verve, working with Curtis Fuller, Wilbur Harden and Kenny Burrell. It was Burrell who gave him the idea to start performing on the flute. Moving to New York in 1959, Lateef played and recorded with Charles Mingus, Donald Byrd, Cannonball Adderly (1962-64), and Grant Green. Lateef played flute, tenor sax and oboe with Adderly. Lateef's recordings from 1959 to 1966 include ·The Dreamerv (1959, Savoy), ·Eastern Soundsv (1964, Mdsv.), ·Club Datev (1964, Impulse), ·Psychicemotusv (1965, Impulse), ·The Golden Flutev (1966, Impulse), and ·Yusef Lateefv (1968, Cadet).
Lateef's performance and recording careers were interrupted by long stints as a student and teacher. He earned a Masters Degree from the Manhattan School of Music, and a Doctorate in Education from the University of Massachusetts. He also wrote and published three one-act plays and a book vignettes called ·Spheresv (1976, Fana Publishing). He ...