Yusef A. Lateef Collection
The life and career of Yusef A. Lateef (1920–2013), a Grammy-winning musician who played a pioneering role in bringing Middle Eastern and Asian sounds to American jazz, is commemorated in this extensive collection housed at the Heard Libraries. A native of Tennessee, Lateef also was an author, visual artist, educator and philosopher whose cultural significance lives on through his work.
The collection includes musical scores, pedagogical materials, audio-visual recordings, writings, photographs, instruments and more and builds on the libraries’ materials from influential 20th-century jazz musicians.
The Yusef A. Lateef Collection was acquired in partnership with the National Museum of African American Music. Items in the collection are made available to Vanderbilt faculty and students and loaned to the museum to support its exhibition and educational programs.