''Yusef Lateef's Little Symphony'' is an album by

Yusef Lateef Yusef Abdul Lateef (born William Emanuel Huddleston; October 9, 1920 – December 23, 2013) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and prominent figure among the Ahmadiyya Community in America. Although Lateef's main instruments ...

, released through the record label Rhino Atlantic in 1987. The album, which '' Billboard'' described as "an atmospheric four-movement classical/jazz composition", was produced by Lateef, recorded, mixed and mastered by Norman Blain, and remastered by Dennis King. Lateef provided all instrumentation that appears on the album. In

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...

, ''Yusef Lateef's Little Symphony'' earned Lateef the

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

for Best New Age Album despite having no prior association with the genre.

Composition and reception

Lateef played all of the instruments that appear on ''Yusef Lateef's Little Symphony'', which '' Billboard'' described as "an atmospheric four-movement classical/jazz composition". The album was produced by Lateef, recorded, mixed and mastered by Norman Blain, and remastered by Dennis King. In

, the album earned Lateef the

for Best New Age Album despite having no prior association with new-age music. Known for disliking the term "jazz", Lateef has stated he has no problem with the New Age classification and believes the genre has no "negative connotations at all".

Track listing

All songs by

. # "First Movement: Larghissimo" – 8:05 # "Second Movement: Andante" – 8:14 # "Third Movement: Moderato" – 10:07 # "Fourth Movement: Presto" – 6:51 Track listing adapted from

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

Personnel

* Norman Blain – engineer, mastering, mixing * Bob Defrin – art direction * Cheryl Griesbach – illustrations * Dennis King – remastering * Yusef Lateef – alto flute, casio, drums,

Ensoniq Mirage The Ensoniq Mirage is one of the earliest affordable sampler-synths, introduced in 1984 as Ensoniq's first product. Introduced at a list price of $1,695 with features previously only found on more expensive samplers like the Fairlight CMI, the M ...

, flute, gourd, kalangu, producer, soprano flute, soprano saxophone, tenor flute,

tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while ...

shehnai The ''shehnai'' is a musical instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is made of wood, with a double reed at one end and a metal or wooden flared bell at the other end.sitar The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form ...

, water drums * Stanley Martucci – illustrations Credits adapted from AllMusic.

References

{{Authority control 1987 albums Grammy Award for Best New Age Album New-age albums by American artists Yusef Lateef albums

Composition and reception

Track listing

Personnel

See also

References