In the Garden

by Alex Henderson It would probably be an exaggeration to say that Yusef Lateef is underrated; the veteran saxophonist has long commanded a loyal, enthusiastic following. But it might be safe to say that some historians in the jazz world don't adequately explain just how much of an innovator he is. Lateef was one of the very first people to play modal post-bop -- he certainly deserves as much credit as Miles Davis and John Coltrane in that area -- and his world music-influenced experiments of the late '50s were quite advanced for their time. Long after the '50s, world music continued to fascinate Lateef -- and it's certainly a big part of what he does on In the Garden. Recorded live at the Electric Lodge in Venice, CA (a Los Angeles suburb) on March 1-2, 2003, In the Garden finds an 82-year-old Lateef leading a large ensemble that is mindful of African, Middle Eastern, and Asian music. Lateef not only plays the tenor sax on these performances -- he's also heard on a variety of flutes -- and his sidemen play everything from flutes and clarinets to traditional string and percussion instruments from Africa and Asia. Those who are seriously into world music might recognize the sound of the Indian bansuri flute, or African udu drums, but even if you can't pick out all the instruments, it is obvious that Lateef and his colleagues are thinking globally throughout this rewarding two-CD set. These performances tend to be abstract, sometimes drawing on free jazz. But those who are adventurous enough to go along for the ride will find a lot to enjoy about In the Garden.