Customer Reviews

Man With a Horn

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a very good release of mostly previously unreleased material that features the beautiful alto sax of Lou Donaldson. Donaldson is supported by some of the Blue Note greats --all of which are in top form: Irvin Stokes (trumpet); John Patton, Jack McDuff (organ); Grant Green (guitar); Ben Dixon, Joe Dukes (drums). This CD is a compilation of sessions recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on September 25, 1961 and June 7, 1963. Highlights include a beautiful treatment of "Misty," a smokin' "Hipty Hop" with John Patton, and a classic version of "Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White." A wonderful release.

The interesting way to deal with this album is to progamme it to set up a sequence of Tracks 1,3,5,7 and 9 followed by 2,4,6 and 8.This represents the two sessions recorded 21 months apart, and illustrates Lou Donaldson with two different groups, with the link between the two being Grant Green on guitar. The first session seems to have been much more mellow than the second, with Jack McDuff on organ sitting back for most of the time to allow Green and Donaldson to solo.Pick of this first session for me is an excellent version of "Prisoner of Love".On the second session John Patton replaced McDuff on organ, and there seems more drive. The session also added Irvin Stokes on trumpet, which altered the sound quite considerably. Favourite for me here is "Soul meetin'" which allows extended solos without flagging.Odd track out is the version of "Cherry Pink and Apple blossom white" which was the only one to see previous release.It's difficult to know why these sessions weren't released before ( but then that goes for a lot of Blue Note stuff - Jimmy Smith for example) because Donaldson is completely at the top of his form. An excellent album to play on a balmy summer evening.

Misty and Hipty Hop, the first two selections, are great. Then this one runs out of steam.