Lou Donaldson had been a Blue Note stalwart since his earliest recordings in 1952 and over the following 15 years produced numerous classic dates spanning bebop, hard bop, and soul jazz. But when the alto saxophonist hooked up with the funky drummer Leo Morris (aka Idris Muhammad) for 1967's Alligator Bogaloo it began a run of great groove-oriented albums, including 1968's Say It Loud. Filling out the band were Donaldson's fellow Blue Note labelmate Blue Mitchell (trumpet), Charles Earland (organ), and Jimmy Ponder (guitar) on this emphatic session, which opens with a firmly in-the-pocket version of James Brown's "Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)." This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is stereo, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.
Alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson hadn't recorded for Blue Note since 1963 when he returned to the label in 1967 and began a new chapter in his lengthy career. Sweet Papa Lou had helped lay Blue Note's soul jazz foundation alongside Hammond B3 organists including Jimmy Smith, Baby Face Willette, and Big John Patton going back to the late-1950s thru the early-60s on standout dates including his own Here 'Tis, Good Gracious!, and The Natural Soul. Upon his return Donaldson pushed ahead with a new hard-grooving sound on 1967's Alligator Bogaloowhich was the first of his many collaborations with organ virtuoso Lonnie Smith and also featured the young guitar star George Benson and the impossibly funky drummer Leo Morris (aka Idris Muhammad). On Mr. Shing-A-Ling he added the bluesy trumpeter Blue Mitchell to the mix, and for 1968's soul jazz manifesto Midnight Creeper he got the whole gang back together for a greasy 6-song set including the jaunty title track, "Love Power," "Bag of Jewels," and "Dapper Dan."
This fascinating set catches a group of young musicians on the verge of greatness. Donaldson is joined by Donald Byrd, Curtis Fuller, Sonny Clark, Jamil Nasser and Art Taylor. Contains 4 groovin' tracks including Spuntnik, Dewey Square, Strollin' in and Groovin' High. Mastered & Produced by Alan Yoshida & Joe Harley from the Original Rudy Van Gelder Blue Note 2-Track Analog Tapes. The Definitive Versions of Blue Note are on XRCD24... Listen & Compare! XRCD24 is Compatible with ALL CD PLAYERS!
Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Lou Donaldson had already helmed 7 Blue Note sessions by the time he made his undisputed masterpiece Blues Walk in 1958. Joining the saxophonist were Herman Foster on piano, Peck Morrison on bass, Dave Bailey on drums, and Ray Barretto on congas for a 6-song set that yielded one of his most memorable themes with the cool struttin' title track. This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is stereo, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes.
Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson scored a hit with "Alligator Bogaloo," the jaunty and memorable lead cut and title track of his 1967 soul jazz classic, but the album brims with funky grooves from start to finish with the breezy "Aw Shucks," rollicking "Rev. Moses," and the sinuous minimalism of "One Cylinder." Alligator Bogaloo marked the beginning of a fruitful and long-running collaboration between Lou and organ master Dr. Lonnie Smith, with the stellar band.
Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Mr. Shing-A-Ling, has long been considered the best of Lou Donaldson's funk/soul albums from the late-'60s, and includes a who's who of great soul jazz players including Blue Mitchell, Jimmy "Fats" Ponder and Leo Smith. Donaldson's funky version of "Ode to Billie Joe" is the most sampled track in Blue Note history. Blue Note Records' Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series is produced by Joe Harley and features all-analog, mastered-from-the original-master-tape.
Vinyl LP pressing. On this gorgeous album, one of Donaldson's favorites, his alto soars over an all-star octet by Duke Pearson on seven standards. Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard and McCoy Tyner also contribute solos. This album was readied for release in 1967 when it was recorded, but subsequently shelved when Donaldson's ALLIGATOR BOGALOO album became a big hit.
