The recordings in this collection are part of the Yusef A. Lateef Collection at Vanderbilt University. The recordings include recordings made and collected by Lateef and recordings of his own performances and compositions. The Yusef A. Lateef Collection were purchased through the NMAAM-Vanderbilt Collections Initiative which seeks to expand the representation of African American individuals and communities in archival collections and to document the history and practice of African American and African diaspora musicians in the United States.