Lush Life [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Lou Donaldson

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 6, 2007)
• Original Release Date: February 6, 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Blue Note Records
• ASIN: B000MG2LQI
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #170,375 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

On this gorgeous album, one of Donaldson's favorites, his alto soars over an all-star octet arranged 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. It was first issued in 1980.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lou Donaldson's "pretty side", October 9, 2007

By	Brian Schiff "jaywilton" (Detroit Mi. USA) - See all my reviews

Lou Donaldson fans might have trouble understanding what he means about alto sax players neglecting "the pretty side"-but he explains in the notes that he believed that the emphasis was with "harmonic possibilities" rather than the "basic sound of the instrument."So,this cd begins with the deep lush sound of Pepper Adams baritone sax kicking off the real pretty Lucky Millender standard from the forties,'Sweet Surrender';yeah,I did.But it's tough to figure how this classic somehow slipped off the radar.It was titled-then shelved for 13 years and released in Japan as 'Sweet Slumber'.Blue Note was going through some changes and this was apparently a "lost session" that was thankfully recovered.
Duke Pearson,who can play some serious piano,here acts as arranger for this nonet-and a young McCoy Tyner fills in a piano, with Freddie Hubbard on trumpet,Garnett Brown on trombone,Ron Carter on bass,Al Harewood on drums,Jerry Dodgion on alto sax and flute and Wayne Shorter on tenor sax. No...'Lush Life' isn't on this cd,but 'The Good Life' is;no question,Lou Rawls would dig it.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Sleazy sax a bit dated, June 30, 2008

By	J. TIMMERMAN (Lawson, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The only other Lou Donaldson I have is the very different Gravy Train, which I love, so I am not an expert on this guy in particular although I do own plenty of be-bop CDs, including those from Donaldson's band - Shorter, Hubbard, Tyner etc. Donaldson was of course a great player, but while be-bop never seems to date, these late 60s sleazy cool sax standards don't wear as well. The album is very much of its time, with a film or TV soundtrack kind of ambience - just imagine the gumshoe detective with his collar up, hands in pockets, fag in mouth, walking the streets of New York trying to figure out the femme fatale. Easy to absorb, but somewhat syrupy and a far cry from progressive be-bop. The remastered Van Gelder CD was transferred from a test pressing since the master tape is lost, but the sound quality is very good.