Meet Yusef Lateef

The Innovative Musician Who Created His Own Genre

by Huan Cardoso

Yusef Lateef

Yusef Lateef was a musician and composer known for his innovative blend of different genres of music. Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Lateef was a multi-instrumentalist who played the oboe, bassoon, flute, and several other instruments. Throughout his career, he worked with a wide range of musicians, including Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Quincy Jones. In order to accurately describe his unique musical style, Lateef created the term "autophysiopsychic" music, which he defined as music derived from the physical, mental, and spiritual self. In a her doctoral theses "Yusef Lateef, Autophysiopsychic Music and Oboe Performance"author Ellen Hummel discusses the term and its meaning.

" Well, I should have my term that I feel that adequately defines the music, and that's when I came up with the term 'autophysiopsychic music."

According to Hummel, Lateef didn't want his music to be associated with the term "jazz", which he considered to be highly ambiguous. In fact, Lateef believed that the term was associated with "tomfoolery" and "poppycock". Instead, Lateef felt that his music expressed different values and that "autophysiopsychic" music was a more adequate term to define it.

Lateef explained the process of creating the term in an interview with Reuben Jackson: "That happened in '70 at the Manhattan School of Music, when I got my Master's. The Dean there Mrs. [Josephine C.] Whitmore had me do some research on the term 'jazz,' and I found all these ambiguities: tomfoolery, and poppycock and terms that I wouldn't even mention in front of ladies. So, I realized that our music had been misidentified. I don't know whether it was on purpose or unintentional. Nevertheless, then I said: 'Well, I should have my term that I feel that adequately defines the music, and that's when I came up with the term 'autophysiopsychic music.' 'Auto' meaning 'self,' 'physio' meaning 'the physical,' the body and the instrument, 'psychic' meaning uh this 'the spirit, the intellect and the soul,' which means music from the 'physical, mental and spiritual self.' I thought the term was accurate, and I've been using it ever since."

Hummel also discusses Lateef's album "Psychicemotus", which was released in 1965. The term "psychicemotus" suggests "the blending of mind and emotions", and the album features Lateef's version of Erik Satie's "First Gymnopedie", played "in waltz-time". Lateef also mentions that he had composers like Hindemith, Prokofiev, and Schoenberg in mind when composing "Medula Sonata".

When talking about improvisation Ellen Hummel quotes Yusef Lateef as saying that "improvisation" is only one aspect of his "autophysiopsychic" music, and not the defining feature of it. He believes that improvisation is a fundamental aspect of music in general, and that classical composers like Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and Chopin also improvised in their music.

" Improvisation means to me something that you're making up on the spot. And I don't think any musician worth his salt is making up anything on the spot. He's been practicing, studying, and everything."

Lateef also expressed his dislike for the term "improvisation" in the interview with Reuben Jackson. He said, "I don't like the term 'improvisation.' Because 'improvisation' means to me something that you're making up on the spot. And I don't think any musician worth his salt is making up anything on the spot. He's been practicing, studying, and everything. So, when he does something, it's not just something that he's making up on the spot. It's something that he's been working on for a long time. So, I don't like the term 'improvisation.' I think it's a misnomer."

Yusef Lateef's music is a truly original and captivating expression of his artistic vision. By rejecting the label of "jazz", Lateef sought to transcend the limitations and negative connotations associated with the genre. Instead, he crafted the term "autophysiopsychic music" to encapsulate the wide range of styles and influences that define his unique sound. Through this innovative approach, Lateef continues to push the boundaries of music and cement his reputation as a pioneering and creative musician and composer