Thursday, January 2, 2014

A Farewell to Yusef Lateef, 1920 - 2013


We bid a sad farewell to saxophone great, flutist, composer and NEA Jazz Master Yusef Lateef, who passed away early last week at the age of 93. An artist who pioneered the integration of jazz with global influences, he described his music as “autophysiopsychic,” meaning “that which comes from one’s spiritual, physical and emotional self.” We were honored to present Mr. Lateef in San Francisco numerous times throughout the years and most recently at Grace Cathedral in October of 2010 as part of the 28th San Francisco Jazz Festival.

We were doubly honored when Mr. Lateef spoke on behalf of the The World Is Listening campaign for the SFJAZZ Center, joining fellow jazz giants Kenny Barron and Bob Mintzer in the video below. The jazz great will truly be missed, however his powerful spirit will forever live on through his music and those lives that he touched.




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