Hidden Gem: Eastern Sounds - Yusef Lateef (Prestige, 1961)

One musical genre I can’t claim to be any sort of expert in is jazz. For many years I was deeply cynical – it was, to my ears, self indulgent and tedious. Odd, given that my father had brought me up on a strict diet of Miles Davis. Gradually though, having exhausted most other areas of popular music I was drawn in. Mingus Ah-Um was a significant turning point as was Coltrane’s Crescent but if there is one piece of music that has really led to my increased love of jazz its Lateef’s Theme from Spartacus from the wonderfully exotic, mellow and superbly-played Eastern Sounds - a record that has taught me that only jazz can create such joy in the space around the music itself (which in turn has led to an appreciation of such great musicianship).



The album was a mixture of standards, film themes and Lateef's own pieces. It is not an exaggeration to say that he could claim to be the first western musician to properly incorporate ‘world music’ into his sound having used eastern instruments since 1957 when he began recording as a band leader. By 1961, with the recording of Into Something and Eastern Sounds, he had emerged as the pre-eminent jazz musician using eastern influences in his work (John Coltrane in particular had been experimenting with similar sounds but had not recorded them). Lateef used a variety of instruments including the rahab, shanai, arghul, koto, Chinese wooden flutes and bells along with his tenor, oboe and flute and incorporated the eastern influence into the more established jazz sound of the day, hard bop.


Sounds would be one of Lateef’s most enduring recordings and was one of the last made by the band that Lateef shared with pianist Barry Harris after the band moved to New York from Detroit, where the jazz scene was in decline. The session, recorded by Rudy Van Gelder, was dominated by Lateef’s exploration of Eastern sound, as well as his improvisation. His genius was to situate them within a context that was accessible to Western ears.


His band was one of the best. As well as Harris, he had Lex Humphries on drums whose brushwork was deemed the most deft and inventive of almost any player in jazz. Bass and rabat player Ernie Farrow was no slouch either. The album kicks off with The Plum Blossom, a mellow but haunting oboe, flute and piano piece that comes from an Eastern scale and works in repetitive rhythms. It is second track Blues for the Orient however where things really take off. Harris' playing in particular is outstanding with the piano almost holding the tune together in the middle eight while Lateef’s oboe accompaniment almost moans over the notes as the track veers from jazz standard to eastern souk and back again.


Third track Ching Miau evokes some of Coltrane's work, the tenor saxophone picking out an infectious melody. The band’s version of Don’t blame me ( a cover of a jazz standard) meanwhile starts in contemplative mood, evoking the rainy streets of an American City. This is a masterclass in playing with both Lateef and Harris wringing pure emotion out of their instruments – jazz at its very best.


Both key players also sound great on Snafu, the most upbeat number on an otherwise fairly mellow album. This, to these ears at least, has a slight latin feel. Purple Flower is one of the most understated tracks while Three Faces of Balal is the shortest track at just two and a half minutes but features a wonderful double bass outro which is quite unlike the rest of the record.


Then there are the two cinematic themes - from the aforementioned Spartacus and The Robe. Both are utterly, hauntingly beautiful. Spartacus features great interplay again between Lateef and Harris and is set against a shuffly drum beat. Some argue that it suffers by comparison with Bill Evans' more widely known 1963 readings on Solo Sessions (Milestone) and Conversations with Myself (Verve) but throughout the whole album the respect with which Lateef incorporates the Eastern influences and the emotion with which he plays them make this album a landmark jazz recording which still sounds wonderful some 50 years later. This is a record that relaxes the mind and draws you in to the wonderous world of the possibilities of music. Seek it out.

The 20 greatest Australian funk records

For those of us who see a long haul holiday as an opportunity to undertake some serious digging, the land down under is a veritable treasure trove of vinyl.

1970’s Australian jazz and funk has gained increasing respectability in recent years via DJ’s such as Kinetic and Sheep. The rest of the world is finally catching on to the genre with an increasing number of collectors returning to records that, outside their own country, were often seen as inferior to their US and even UK counterparts at the time. Many of these records now attract a premium and their popularity has recently led to the release of a trio of excellent compilations called Respect Overdue on the Creative Vibes label.

Significantly influenced by folk, progressive rock, krautrock and other genres of the day, 70’s Aussie funk is distinctive in that it was very much funk of the blue-eyed variety while its jazz scene was very much defined by the quality of its musicianship and its ability to incorporate the latest sounds. Despite the size of the country, the scene was relatively small in numbers with many musicians playing on each others records. The funk tradition continues to this very day with the excellent Bamboos, Dojo Cuts and Tiki Two.

My own first brush with Oz funk occurred during a round the world trip about a decade ago – picking up a haul of Marcia Hines, Daly Wilson and Crossfire amongst others – records that can be picked up even now for a few dollars but brimming with quality. It’s a serious financial undertaking to get out there but that’s where ebay comes in! Enjoy…

1. Sue Barker – S/t (Crest 1976)
A bit of a holy grail this one with copies changing hand for over £100. Sue Barker was a jazz singer from Adelade and only recorded this one record but what a record it is. An embarrassment of riches with jazz standards, Marvyn Gaye and Curtis Mayfield covers. If you see one snaffle it!

2. Quasar – Man Coda (AIJA, 1981)
Privately pressed and only 500 copies in existence. Recorded direct to digital tape by just a drummer, bassist, and guitarist, the sounds vary from moody, multi-layered tunes like the title track through to more jazzy stuff. The drums in particular are really heavy. Clearly influenced by the Krautrock sound and a fantastic psychadelic cover as well.

3. Savanna Silver Band – Pure Silver (Champagne, 1978)
I picked this up a few years ago in Brisbane and I don’t know much about it but its great. White boys playing afro funk and 70’s radio rock. The stand out track is Ruby Running Faker.

4. Marcia Hines - Marcia Shines (Wizard, 1975)
Classic northern soul straight out of New South Wales. American born Hines had a long and successful career and still gigs today. There are a number of standout tracks on this, her first, album including You gotta let go and Don’t let the Grass Grow. You should be able to pick this one up for under a tenner and well worth it.

5. Kerrie Biddell – Kerrie Biddell (Bootleg, 1973)
Biddell had been a pianist until she developed arthritis at 15 and so turned to singing. The album as a whole is on a singer-songwriter folky vibe but the track people tend to buy it for is a cover of Sly Stone’s Sing a Simple Song which provides a fantastic, energetic and original take on the original (think Janis Joplin perhaps).

6. Don Burrows – The Tasman Connection (Cherry Pie, 1976)
Perhaps the best known Aussie Funk album of all, the title track being sampled by all sorts of hip hop producers over the years. A heavy clarinet break that is instantly recognisable. Multi-instrumentalist Don Burrows is one of the Australian jazz scene’s most respected players. Despite now being over 80 he still occasionally plays today.

7. Ayers Rock – Big Red Rock (Mushroom, 1973)
Another heavy break on this one in the form of ‘Crazy Boys’. These guys had a slightly proggy leaning but as with so many Aussie funk releases tight playing mean that this has a real grove. Great cover as well!

8. Gallapagos Duck – Ebony Quill (Phillips, 1974)
More stalwarts of the 70’s jazz scene. Many would plump for their soundtrack to the Removalists as their best work but this is my particular favourite. Recorded in just two days it features a trio of flutes over mellow jazz grooves – niiiice.

9. Billy Thorpe – Million Dollar Bill (Festival, 1975)
This is worth admission for one track alone – a cover of Etta James’ ‘Back on the Streets’. Essentially an Aussie take on the Theme from Shaft – psychedelic soul sung by a guy who looks like a redneck cop. Billy Thorpe is dead now but this album is a fitting testament to his post Aztecs work.

10. The Tony Ansell Orchestra – Just Arranging (Batjazz, 1978)
A who’s who of the vibrant 70’s scene – featuring, amongst others, Kerrie Biddell and Don Burrows. This is straight ahead jazz with (as the title suggests) some excellent arrangements.

11. Rock Mass for Love – Bakery and Jazz Ensemble (Astor, 1971)
A personal favourite this one. Released in 1971, a bizarre fusion of Anglican church service and full on heavy jazz funk. The combination of spiritual chanting and psychy Axlerod-esque beats makes this a truly unique recording.

12. Hammond Electrique – Claude Pepesch (EMI Australia, 1974)
Cheesy listening Wurlitzer classic with a number of the staples of the day (Candle in the Wind, Killing me Softly) the payoff is a Pepesch original called ‘Trini Baby’

13. Inner Space – Sven Libaek (Festival, 1973)
Not really a funk record – rather a bizarre soundtrack to a film and tv series about sharks. Recently re-released on Votary Records where they’ve fed spoken word dialogue by William Shatner into the grooves. Subtle and lovely.

14. Rene Geyer – It’s a mans world (RCA, 1974)
Yet another female funker who had a long and successful career in her own country. This features a wonderfully overaught version of the James Brown classic as well as a version of Issac Hayes’ Do your thing.

15. Stratusphunk – Bruce Clarke (Cumquat, 1974)
This one isn’t cheap to pick up but its a wonderfully 70’s jazz rock fusion in the days when analogue synths ruled. Clearly influenced by Bitches Brew, Three Seconds is the key track.

16. Coleen Hewett (Festival, 1972)
Colleen Hewett came from Bendigo in Victoria. Starting as a pop singer with local bands, she later branched out into acting and was part of the cast for the Australian production of musical Godspell. Her self titled first album featured songs from the show and a bluesy cover of Help by the Beatles.

17. Don Burrows – The Brazilian Connection (Cherry Pie, 1978)
Intriguing fusion of one of Oz’s premier jazz quintet’s and Brazilian guitarists Burnier & Cartier and recorded live in Sydney and Canberra. Features jazz legends George Golla and Tony Ansel.

18. Cross Purposes – Various Artists (Unison)
Compilation of 70’s christian happy clappy stuff with some surprisingly funky numbers – not least by Anne Shelton and the Intrumentals. Think Wicker Man in Adelade…

19. Daly Wilson Big Band feat. Kerrie Biddell (Elephant, 1975)
More stalwarts of the scene – famed for their sponsorship by Benson and Hedges cigarettes (hard to imagine Kate Nash being sponsored by Lambert and Butler nowadays…). Biddell features on four tracks – most notably City Sounds.

20. The Brian Brown Quartet – Upward (Phonogram, 1977)
Mellow, but melodic jazz fusion. Brown’s soprano sax soaring over the rest of the band. Kind of reminds me of Weather Report or something like that. Wonderfully experimental.

This material should not be reproduced in part or whole without permission of the author. curleyberry@ntlworld.com

April 2009