Saltwater Blues

Yusef Lateef, the "gentle giant," was the first jazz musician to seriously use the oboe as a means of musical expression. One of the several wind instruments he plays, the oboe's unique timbre has been the centerpeice of many of Lateel's compositions over the years. With the help of my friend Hal Stech, I transcribed Saltwater Blues from an LP recording. Wishing to present all the ways the oboe has been heard during the past century, I began including it on recitals of Twentieth Century music for oboe. Before recording it, I phoned Lateef to find out more about the circumstances involved in writing this piece. We had a pleasant conversation from which I learned the following.

Although he is often described as a jazz innovator, Lateef does not like the term "jazz." He considers it demeaning and cited respected dictionaries which define jazz as "to copulate" and "nonharmonious music." Lateef therefore prefers to call the music he creates "auto-physio-psychic music."

Lateef recorded Saltwater Blues in 1960 on his album, The Three Faces of Yusef Lateef. It was written shortly after moving to New York City, while homesick for the fishing he so loved in Detroit.

I appreciated the chance to speak with him, thanked him and said "goodbye." He closed our converstion with one word, "Peace."

--Stephen Caplan

Saltwater Blues
Yusef Lateef
Alnur Publishing (transcribed by Hal Stesch)
(1960)

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