Lou Donaldson

[Milestones]

There must be some fans out there. The man doesn't seem to get much respect, but I'd say he's a decent disciple of Bird, and let's not forget he was in the Blakey group with Horace Silver and Brownie--in essence, the start of the Messengers. His funky side came out in the early 60s, and I enjoy those records where he's backed by Grant Green and Big John Patton.

Edited March 13, 2014 by Milestones

[jlhoots]

I'm a fan.

Calling chewy for more input.

[mjzee]

Loved Lou with Milt Jackson.

[Gheorghe]

Strange enough: When I started to get into the music, he was a pretty "forgotten man" and I first saw his name and heard him on record on the BN-LA double LP of Monk "Pure Genius", the 1952 sides you know them.

I think that´s the time he came on the scene, playing with Monk, with Bags and with Horace.

Then, in the late 70´s there was a Timeless LP "Forgotten Man" (smile).

I didn´t really pay attention to him until he was scheduled on a Festival 1985 (Danube Festival). That´s where I heard him first.

During that time he had Herman Foster on piano. From then on, I heard him often and bought many of his BN LPs, though I must admit now, that I wouldn´t have needed to buy so many of them.

Last year (in July) I heard him again. Naturally I didn´t expect anything fresh or new, but I really enjoyed it....

[Milestones]

Lou was/is not an innovater, of course, but it's notable that he was in the company of some greats.

Yeah, the Monk sessions. I'm trying to remember on which tunes he was featured.

[paul secor]

Two earlier threads:

Edited March 13, 2014 by paul secor

[erwbol]

Of his efforts as a leader I've only got Midnight Sun in the BNLT999 edition. It's a fun album, but I'm not planning on getting more Donaldson.

[RiRiIII]

Perhaps he lived long enough not to be a legend... I love his playing.

[Guy Berger]

I like a fair amount of his playing, but many of his contemporaries were better IMHO.

[marcello]

When you hear him live (he'll be here in a couple of weeks) there is a essence of Bird in his sound. That alone is pretty cool. Some of his stage presentation is a bit corney, though.

[Noj]

Alligator Bogaloo is a must. "One Cylinder!"

[Hardbopjazz]

This was just announced.

http://jazztimes.com/articles/123373-kennedy-center-announces-blue-note-at-75-events-in-d-c

Kennedy Center Announces Blue Note at 75 Events in D.C. Blanchard, Moran, Glasper and Blue Note alumni will perform

By Jeff Tamarkin

The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., will present Blue Note at 75 from May 3-11, marking the 75th anniversary of Blue Note Records with a series of events. Keyboardist and composer Jason Moran, the Kennedy Center’s Artistic Advisor for Jazz (and a Blue Note artist), will host the event.

Scheduled events include trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard and his quintet; the Robert Glasper Experiment; a listening party with Moran and Terence Blanchard discussing their all-time top Blue Note albums and tracks; and a closing night concert featuring Lou Donaldson, Bobby Hutcherson, Wayne Shorter, Dr. Lonnie Smith and McCoy Tyner.

[JSngry]

I enjoy listening to older Lou Donaldson records for the social images they conjure, not so much for Lou Donaldson per se, especially the organ records (all of them). I don't think the guy ever had a bad band, nor do I think that he ever played outside of a social point of reference, so that's a compliment, actually, although it might not sound like one. It means that he did what he set out to do, mission accomplished. But by the time he "returned" or whatever it was, the social reference was maybe less to going to than to having gone, although if you want to say hey, that's nonsense, well, hey, it probably is, but what can I do about that myself, I'm not Lou Donaldson, ok?

Also, does anybody still ahve the clip of when LD called into the sports talk show? That's a slice of life right there, maybe two slices, or even three!

[Peter Friedman]

The Lou Donaldson records I like the most are his early things. The Birdland session with Clifford Brown and Art Blakey, his sideman playing with Milt Jackson and Monk, and these 4 Blue Note recordings.

L

Quartet/ Quintet / Sextet with Horace Silver, Elmo Hope, Blue Mitchell

Lou Takes Off with Sonny Clark, Donald Byrd, Curtis Fuller

The Time Is Right with Blue Mitchell, Horace Parlan

Sunny Side Up with Bill Hardman, Horace Parlan

[Milestones]

I'm very much a fan of Lush Life, which came out in 1966 or 1967. "Lush Life" the song does not appear, but the album features a lot of ballad standards. It's a 9-piece band that sounds very lush. I think it's about as good as this kind of thing gets. I'm surprised that Donaldson didn't do a couple of more projects like this one.

[mr jazz]

I saw him with Akiko Tsuruga on B-3 at Birdland last year. Really great B-3 jazz and Lou was blowing up a storm, great band. One of the most enjoyable shows I've seen in a while.

[Bluesnik]

I like

that one, that collects Signifyin and Possum Head. Both on Argo, from the early sixties.

[paul secor]

Lou Donaldson did what he did and does what he does. Some of that connects with me and some doesn't. I'm sure it makes no difference at all to him.

[blind-blake]

Yeah, but he loves his "samiches."

Edited March 14, 2014 by blind-blake

[Leeway]

Lou's work ethic is incredible, from the early Fifties to now. Plenty of good albums. That is incredible. And still gigging at 87. I can only hope I'm still breathing at 87. You have to respect that kind life in music.

[JSngry]

Also, does anybody still ahve the clip of when LD called into the sports talk show? That's a slice of life right there, maybe two slices, or even three!

The clip is gone, but here's our discussion of it...sure hope I've got it (the clip) saved somewhere...

[king ubu]

talkin' 'bout respect, Poppa Lou doesn't have too much of that to give away to all the junkies he had to play with and all the junkies whose playing he didn't and doesn't get ... Poppa can be a major nuisance and it really spoils the fun for me more often than not ... but yeah, decent player that rarely excites me but as has been stated above, he led many a great band a few of his rekkids are pretty darn good (the samich one with Baby Face, "Lush Life" too, the sputnik one ... and yeah, just about ever organ disc - at least from the Blue Note years - gets an occasional spin here as well), but gee, he does seem bitter and clueless when he talks music ...

Panken: Did you get to know Coltrane?
Donaldson: Yeah, I knew him. Coltrane’s from North Carolina.
Panken: I was going to ask you about that. Monk as well had roots in North Carolina.
Donaldson: Yes, Monk’s from Wilson, North Carolina. I knew Coltrane real well. He was a hard-working guy. But most of his stuff was drug-related.
Panken: What do you mean?
Donaldson: He’d get high, go in a room and play eight hours, you know, without coming out. Drugs. They don’t tell people that when they’re talking about him.

[...]

Donaldson: Yeah, I know Lee Konitz. Lee Konitz is a sax-o-phon-ist. I wouldn’t call him exactly a great jazz player, but he’s a good saxophone player. Him and Paul Desmond, too. They sound like they’re playing clarinets. They don’t even have the sound.
Panken: So for you, it’s very important to have...
Donaldson: I mean, a SOUND. A bluesy sound. They don’t have it. They can’t play the blues, unfortunately. They play what they’re playing. But the blues, a different thing. And if you can’t play blues, you can’t play jazz, period. Now, if you can play it and don’t play it, you’re still not playing jazz—period. I listen to all the stuff Coltrane’s playing. No blues.

http://www.smithsonianjazz.org/documents/oral_histories/Donaldson_Lou_Interview_Transcription.pdf

(I've not yet tried to read through it all)

[johnblitweiler]

Gene Ammons made a recording of "Exactly Like You" that was popular around the early 1960s or late '50s. In the 1970s Blue Note issued a Lou Donaldson LP in which L.D. phrased the theme just like Jug - very distinctive. The trick was, Lou had recorded that one before Ammons had recorded his version. Other pieces now and then, "Blues Walk" for ex., suggest a real felllow feeling between the two.

That lovely Lou Donaldson version of "Sweet Slumber": Who does he sound like? It certainly reminds me of the alto player in the Joe Liggins 1940s band.

[David Ayers]

Seems that 'the blues' is the last refuge of a scoundrel

[paul secor]

Gene Ammons made a recording of "Exactly Like You" that was popular around the early 1960s or late '50s. In the 1970s Blue Note issued a Lou Donaldson LP in which L.D. phrased the theme just like Jug - very distinctive. The trick was, Lou had recorded that one before Ammons had recorded his version. Other pieces now and then, "Blues Walk" for ex., suggest a real felllow feeling between the two.

That lovely Lou Donaldson version of "Sweet Slumber": Who does he sound like? It certainly reminds me of the alto player in the Joe Liggins 1940s band.

I've never heard "Sweet Slumber", but Little Willie Jackson was Joe Liggins' alto man.