Yusef Lateef Atlantis Lullaby: The Concert From Avignon
![]() As if on cue, Atlantis Lullaby, a live set from Avignon, France, captured in 1972, arrived to illustrate my point. The opener, "Inside Atlantis," with its chugging, urgent theme, gives way to a flute-piano duo, "A Flower," with its drawn-out phrasing and new-agey calm. Then comes "Yusef's Mood," over 17 minutes of high-energy swing and unexpected invention, followed by "Lowland Lullaby," a serene duet between bassist Bob Cunningham and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath, who puts down his sticks and plays Indian flute. All of that happens on just the first LP. The second kicks off with "Eboness," which Lateef announces as a vehicle for Cunningham. Its opening reminds me of Ramsey Lewis's "The 'In' Crowd," but Lateef takes the spotlight, again on flute, along with Cunningham on bowed bass. The ballad "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" has Lateef back on tenor. It begins slowly, dripping with emotion. While it may seem like the set's obligatory standard, at over 12 minutes, it is anything but standard, heavy with restraint and charm. The final cut is pianist Kenny Barron's "The Untitled." Barron provides inspiration and direction throughout the set -- three of the seven tunes are his. The 27-minute closer, which begins with a short spoken intro, in which Lateef calls it "an extended composition," takes us past musical vistas both familiar and new at breakneck speed -- until the pace slows to a crawl. "The Untitled" is cinematic in its scope and progression, a cut to study and savor. I've played it multiple times, sometimes in succession, and I'm still discovering its beautiful mysteries.
Atlantis Lullaby was released for Record Store
Day, April 20, 2024, in an edition of 2950, but copies are still
available. Even among all of the special RSD releases, it's a standout -- for the
music, the sound, and the booklet, with its stories and insight. |
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