Lou Donaldson has long been an excellent bop altoist influenced by Charlie Parker, but with a more blues-based style of his own. His distinctive tone has been heard in a variety of small-group settings, and he has recorded dozens of worthy and spirited (if somewhat predictable) sets throughout the years.
Donaldson started playing clarinet when he was 15, soon switching to the alto. He attended college and performed in a Navy band while in the military. Donaldson first gained attention when he moved to New York and in 1952 started recording for Blue Note as a leader. At the age of 25, his style was fully formed, and although it would continue growing in depth through the years, Donaldson had already found his sound. In 1954, he participated in a notable gig with Art Blakey, Clifford Brown, Horace Silver, and Tommy Potter that was extensively documented by Blue Note and that directly predated the Jazz Messengers. However, Donaldson was never a member of the Messengers, and although he recorded as a sideman in the '50s and occasionally afterwards with Thelonious Monk, Milt Jackson, and Jimmy Smith, among others, he has been a bandleader from the mid-'50s up until the present.
Donaldson's early Blue Note recordings were pure bop. In 1958, he began often utilizing a conga player, and starting in 1961, his bands often had an organist rather than a pianist. His bluesy style was easily transferable to soul-jazz, and he sounded most original in that context. His association with Blue Note (1952-1963) was succeeded by some excellent (if now-scarce) sets for Cadet and Argo (1963-1966). The altoist returned to Blue Note in 1967 and soon became caught up in the increasingly commercial leanings of the label. For a time, he utilized an electronic Varitone sax, which completely watered down his sound. The success of "Alligator Boogaloo" in 1967 led to a series of less interesting funk recordings that were instantly dated and not worthy of his talent.
However, after a few years off records, Lou Donaldson's artistic return in 1981 and subsequent soul-jazz and hard bop dates for Muse, Timeless, and Milestone have found the altoist back in prime form, interacting with organists and pianists alike and showing that his style is quite timeless.
1952. Lou Donaldson - Complete 1952 Blue Note Sessions
1954. Lou Donaldson - Quartet Quintet Sextet
1957. Lou Donaldson - Lou Takes Off
1957. Lou Donaldson - Swing And Soul
1957. Lou Donaldson - Wailing With Lou
1958. Lou Donaldson - Blues Walk
1959. Lou Donaldson - The Time Is Right
1959. Lou Donaldson With The Three Sounds - LD+3
1960. Lou Donaldson - Sunny Side Up
1961. Lou Donaldson - Gravy Train
1961. Lou Donaldson - Here 'Tis
1962. Lou Donaldson - The Natural Soul
1963. Lou Donaldson - Good Gracious!
1967. Lou Donaldson - Alligator Bogaloo
1967. Lou Donaldson - Lush Life
1967. Lou Donaldson - Mr. Shing-A-Ling
1968. Lou Donaldson - Midnight Creeper
1968. Lou Donaldson - Say It Loud
1970. Lou Donaldson - Everything I Play Is Funky
1970. Lou Donaldson - The Scorpion- Live At The Cadillac Club
1973. Lou Donaldson - Sassy Soul Strut (LP)
1992. Lou Donaldson - Birdseed
1993. Lou Donaldson - Caracas
1998. Lou Donaldson - Blue Breakbeats
1999. Lou Donaldson - A Man With A Horn
2002. Complete Blue Note Lou Donaldson Sessions 1957-60 (6 CD)
2005. Lou Donaldson - The Artist Selects
