Jump to content

Honest appraisal of Lou Donaldson's soul jazz stuf


connoisseur series500

Recommended Posts

Damn it, I can't stand it any more. Has everyone here heard everything, or does everyone just keep their mouth shut if they aren't familiar with an artist? Just curious, as I wouldn't know Lou Donaldson from my neighborhood grocer. Sorry...

Well, if your grocer wears sharp dark-colored suits, stingey-brimmed hats, and blows like charlie parker over a boogaloo beat you might be in luck. ;)

But, for reals....go buy some Lou Donaldson CDs now or you won't be allowed back in the clubhouse.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

While we can all quibble about details (and personal prejudices) I think we all owe AMG and Mr. Yanow a debt of gratitude.

We all have personal feelings about certain records: Maybe you got your first lay as a result of Spiritual Unity.... BUT this is a great source of info and Scott is a decent guide through 75 years of music. Some of the later entries by others are suspect.

I agree that Scott did a fine job. Most folks tend to stick to one genre or another, and the fact that he wrote informative, open-minded reviews of records from a vast array of genres and eras is commendable. Successful or not, I certainly try to maintain that level of responsibility.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

While we can all quibble about details (and personal prejudices) I think we all owe AMG and Mr. Yanow a debt of gratitude.

I've learned an incredible amount from AMG in general, and Yanow's reviews in particular. I always check the AMG rating before I buy a new title. I don't always agree after I've heard the music or religiously follow the ratings as a buying guide, but as a jazz neophyte with limited $$ to spend I find his reviews indispensable, and more trustworthy (i.e. similar to my tastes) than many others.

This is probably due to the fact that I buy primarily mid 1950's-mid 1960's hard bop. Its pretty obvious from his reviews that this is one of Yanow's favored idioms as well.

That said, now that I'm expanding into soul-jazz territory a bit, Yanow's reviews are quite a bit less reliable, and even with hard bop artists there are some glaring inconsistencies between the ratings and the number of "stars" given.

I agree that AMG should perhaps find a reviewer who sympathizes with soul jazz and can make some distinctions rather than panning just about all of it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is there a reason for the misspelled "Boogaloo" on the cover of Alligator Bogaloo? I've stared at that a few times, and wondered if it was the fabled BN Quality Control at work, or intended that way.

I've wondered about this to. I have seen that a great many early boogaloos during it's initial craze were called by only one "o" - some Puente comes to mind. It might just be the first Spanish language way of writing it that titles this album.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The only session that I've never heard from this period is "Everything I Play is Gonne Be Funky".

I have no idea why I've slept on it over the years. I suppose the title sounds cheesy, so I tend to avoid it.

That said, Lou's take on James Brown's "Say it Loud" is BAD!! This session should be a rare groove release.

Edited by undergroundagent
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest ariceffron

have youy ever got old downbeats and read old hank reviews. read all the orginals. every one is horrible. you wouldnt even believe how bad they trashed hank mobley and his all stars!!! so you cant trust reviews

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The only session that I've never heard from this period is "Everything I Play is Gonne Be Funky".

I have no idea why I've slept on it over the years. I suppose the title sounds cheesy, so I tend to avoid it.

Just in case you don't know, that's a cover of a Lee Dorsey hit, one of those Allan Toussaint-produced things w/The Meters on board. If you like Lou's version, check out the original. ULTRA funky!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...