The Centaur and the Phoenix


The Centaur and the Phoenix is an album by multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef, recorded in 1960 and released on the Riverside label.

Reception

The AllMusic review by Stacia Proefrock stated that the performance "takes the risks and the innovations that Lateef was known for, and expands them in a number of different directions all at once, leading to an album that bursts with new ideas and textures, while remaining accessible, and above all, beautiful. Lateef seems eager here to take the next step musically by breaking the mold of his previous albums".
Don DeMicheal gave the album 4.5 stars in his review for DownBeat. He wrote, "What makes this album outstanding is that the playing and writing are equally strong. Usually, one or the other dominates... The album is a mature statement by a mature artist".

Track listing

All compositions by Yusef Lateef except as indicated
  1. "Revelation" - 6:02
  2. "Apathy" - 5:25
  3. "Ev'ry Day " - 6:59
  4. "The Centaur and the Phoenix" - 5:37
  5. "Iqbal" - 4:51
  6. "Summer Song" - 5:26
  7. "The Philanthropist" - 4:02
Bonus tracks on CD reissue:
  1. "Jungle Fantasy" - 2:42
  2. "Titora" - 2:25

Personnel