Eastern Sounds (Rudy Van Gelder Remaster)

Editors’ Notes While his roots were in jazz, reedist Yusef Lateef had little time for rules or convention, using instruments like oboe and bamboo flute to complement his formidable chops on tenor saxophone and flute. This 1961 album isn’t his first foray into non-Western styles, but he crystallized a wondrous yet accessible balance of jazz’s mandate of exploration with Eastern folk exoticism (check out “Ching Miau”). The results are equally stunning when he veers closer to straight jazz on tunes like “Don’t Blame Me.”