Apparently, Spain's Fresh Sound imprint felt they could make more money if they split up the massive four disc set Yusef's Mood: Complete 1957 Sessions with Hugh Lawson into two separate titles. Why they would choose to do this is the same calendar year (2008) seems a bit loopy, but OK. The music found here represents the great multi-instrumentalist and composer Yusef Lateef's first four recordings as a leader. While the band was based in Lateef's adopted home of Detroit, famed engineer Rudy Van Gelder recorded all the music here in his living room studio in Hackensack, NJ. The band on these sessions includes Curtis Fuller, Louis Hayes, Ernie Farrow, and Hugh Lawson. The albums included are Jazz for the Thinker, Stable Mates, Jazz Moods, and Before Dawn. All but one was recorded originally for Savoy -- Before Dawn was cut for Verve. They represent the first offerings in a catalog that has been rife with innovation and disciplined creativity for over 50 years. Some of these tunes, such as "Morning," have been covered by a wide variety of artists, most notably, Steve Turre, and remain an important part of the jazz canon. If you can't spring for the big box yet, then get this half and have your mind blown.