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Speaking of Lou Donaldson in 1953, there’s a bootleg recording of a New York live performance with Horace Silver on piano—it’s a really great, Parker-esque performance. That said, I get the feeling that Lou returned to the Parker style in his later years anyway (like on “Forgotten Man” from Timeless). That said, personally, I prefer the rich tone Lou had during his Soul Jazz days. Opinions are probably divided on his use of Varitone, though... I still listen to the live album "The Scorpion" quite often.

Jovan Santos-Knox is out for the year. https://3downnation.com/2026/05/18/winnipeg-blue-bombers-rule-jovan-santos-knox-out-for-2026-season/ ***** Top 3 receivers https://www.cfl.ca/2026/05/18/mmqb-ranking-the-cfls-top-3-receivers-2/ ***** The league has created a chart to keep track of the quarterbacks' work during the pre-season. https://www.cfl.ca/2026/05/18/qb-tracker-breaking-down-preseason-playing-time-4/ ***** Sask-Calgary previews https://cflnewshub.com/cfl-news/cfl-preseason-today-18-saskatchewan-roughriders-vs-calgary-stampeders-tv-channels-live-stream-odds https://pifflespodcast.com/blog/game-day-roster-spots-up-for-grabs-in-riders-preseason-opener-in-calgary/  

Of course it is all a matter of personal taste.  At the time period that Lou Donaldson recorded with Clifford and with Blakey, he was among my favorite alto players. Ten years and more later, there were numerous alto players I greatly enjoyed while Lou had slipped far down the list of my favorites.

Various thoughts: 1 - Willis was a good singer for sure.  I'm partial to Ray Collins because that's the era of Zappa/Mothers I much prefer. 2 - Yes, please take prostate cancer seriously.  I've had five colonoscopies as they found something when I had the first one (20 years ago).   There have been advances in the prep procedure which has made it much less egregious,and you're out for the actual procedure, so no big deal.  I've had friends die of prostrate cancer, and that just didn't need to be. 3 - I saw Zappa once, in the spring of 1973,  just post-Flo and Eddie (thankfully).  It was the group of his with probably the most firepower, with  Ponty, George Duke, the Underwoods, the Fowlers, Sal Marquez, etc. (a bit hazy overall).  Yet the show was utterly anti-climactic because the group onstage ahead of them was the original Mahavishnu Orchestra (McLaughlin, Goodwin, Hammer, Laird, Cobham) in all their glory, and they played Zappa right off the stage.  Incongruously, the opening act was poor John Hammond, solo with an acoustic guitar, sitting on a stool.  In front of 15,000 people there to see the fireworks of the other two groups. https://jrirwin.com/remembering-zappa-and-mahavishnu-at-the-spectrum/  

Features very good playing by Benny Bailey and Horace Parlan.