BELMONDO & YUSEF LATEEF SEXTET
i.c.w. Afijma
Yusef Lateef-tenor saxophone, flute, Lionel Belmondo-tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute, Stephane Belmondo-trumpet, flugelhorn, Laurent Fickelson-piano, Sylvain Romano-bass, Laurent Robin-drums
86 year old jazz legend Yusef Lateef, superior on tenor saxophone and flute, played with Dizzy Gillespie, Mingus and Cannonball Adderley before founding his own groups. The French brothers Lionel and Stephane Belmondo have been great admirers since their teenage years and asked him to participate on their album Influence. This is what All About Jazz wrote about one of their concerts: ‘That a man in his mid-eighties can play with such strength as Lateef is remarkable. On tenor, in particular, his tone was bold. But whether he was playing saxophone, flute, wood flutes or oboe, it seemed as if every phrase – every note – was being squeezed out of the depths of his soul. His ability to build powerful statements, ranging from gently lyrical to aggressively spirited, never lost focus, with the Belmondo brothers, in particular, shouting out in affirmation during especially profound moments.’