Lou Donaldson, Dr Lonnie Smith

[Alexander Hawkins]

With the sad thread about Jimmy Smith, I thought that those who haven't seen him recently should know that Lou Donaldson is still in VERY fine fettle. Caught him the other day in London. I think this might be the 3--4 time I've seen him, and I guess that would make him around 5 or so years older now than when I first saw him. However, this was probably by some distance the finest I've seen him play.

He played a great 'Blues Walk' to open, but the highlight for me was him burning through the rhythm changes on Allen's Alley.

Not to make too much of a political point, but he was received with a chorus worth of applause when in the blues, having dreamt he was in the White House, chatting to Dubya (whom he 'didn't want anyway...'), he 'woke up this morning/[and] not a weapon of mass destruction could I find'.

Lonnie Smith was absolutely incendiary for the first half of the gig, although curiously didn't solo on the last couple of tunes.

Anyway, to all those who need an antidote to the sad story about Jimmy Smith in the other thread, two more icons, Lou Donaldson and Lonnie Smith, are still very much at the top of their (very entertaining) games!

[Peter Johnson]

B)

I've heard a few things about Lou Donaldson & company returning to New York later this summer. Does anyone have any leads (I've checked the VV and Iridium websites)?

Peter J

[ajf67]

I saw Lou w/ Lonnie Smith earlier this year at the Vanguard. What a show. I hope what you are hearing about other NYC shows later this year is true!

[Soul Stream]

Lou, Lonnie, Fukushi, and Randy are playing the Village Vanguard Thanksgiving week in November this Fall. It's not on the site yet, but Fukushi told me that was their next Vanguard date.