Customer Reviews

Midnight Creeper

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

 

 

Featuring Lonnie Smith on the Organ, Idris Muhammad on Drums, Blue Mitchell on trumpet, and a young George Benson on guitar and recorded in '68, Midnight Creeper was one among a handful of albums w/ funky crossover tracks that Bluesy Charlie Parker disciple Lou Donaldson recorded in the late '60s. - - While Blue Note co-habitant Horace Silver and Riverside rival Cannonball Adderly explored the "straighter" sides of gospelly soul Jazz, it was the likes of Herbie Mann, Lou Donaldson and an entire school of Donaldson disciples like Big John Patton, Grant Green, Reuben Wilson and Lonnie Smith who all out embraced the James Brown school of funk, often taking the timeless 12 bar blues tradition of the B-3 (as interpreted by the likes of Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff and Jimmy McGriff) and adding a latin tinged funk beat known as Boogaloo - - the rest is history.

Tunes on this album start with Midnight Creeper, built on Donaldson's famous Alligator Boogaloo format (which he claims was just nothing but a 12 bar blues with a good name !), the groovy yet gospelly Love Power, the Mellow and Jazzy Elizabeth, the Lonnie Smithish funkfest Bag of Jewels (if you dig it, check out Lonnie Smith's LIVE AT CLUB MOZAMBIQUE, MOVE YOUR HAND, as well as the music of Leon Spencer) and finally a funky blues grind 'n shuffle called Daper Dan.

Today a young generation of organists such as Adam Scone and Soulive have made efforts to pick up on this distinctly funky Blue Note sound, yet I'm sure you'll agree after getting wiped away by this classic soul Jazz recording, the Turbonator and Sweet Poppa will never be out done.

(P.S. If you're surprized to hear this young incarnation of George Benson giving Melvin Sparks a run for his money, check him out on the late great Jack McDuff's LIVE circa 1963 !)

This is my fave Lou Donaldson disc, but not because of Lou (who's playing is so ultimately relaxed here that it almost falls off of Rudy Van Gelder's tape). For me, the album is really all about Lonnie Smith. On this particular session he was at his grooviest, peeling off one tasty riff after another. His cool yet smokin' touch on the B3 keeps everyone on track and in like-minded fashion. The underrated Blue Mitchell plays it from the soul this time around, all slippery funk/blues. It's also nice to have George Benson on board whipping up some classy licks of his own. Along with Idris Muhammad's understated beat, the entire crew is just so very locked into the mode that this short(36:10) but killer album is the very definition of "Blue Note Rare Groove". The tune "Bag of Jewels" really lives up to it's name, a groovy little track that is straight outa '68. Dig it!

Most people have never heard of Lou Donaldson, including myself until I overheard one song love power, man it just burns.

So I bought this album and have no regrets, its very well produced, the sound is great, and I dare you to not tap your feet to a few of the sizzling arrangements like Love power and my favourite, 'Bag of Jewels'

This album now gets played a great deal down at the dimly lit 1960's era Lava Lounge I built on my lower floor.

As he delved deeper into commercial soul-jazz and jazz-funk, Lou Donaldson became better at it. While lacking the bite of his hard bop improvisations or the hard-swinging funk of Alligator Bogaloo, Midnight Creeper succeeds where its predecessor, Mr. Shing-A-Ling failed: it offers a thoroughly enjoyable set of grooving, funky soul-jazz. The five songs -- including two originals by Donaldson and one each by Lonnie Smith (who also plays organ on the record), Teddy Vann, and Harold Ousley -- aren't particularly distinguished, but the vibe is important, not the material. And the band -- Donaldson, Smith, trumpeter Blue Mitchell, guitarist George Benson, and drummer Leo Morris -- strikes the right note, turning in a fluid, friendly collection of bluesy funk vamps. Donaldson could frequently sound stilted on his commercial soul-jazz dates, but that's not the case with Midnight Creeper. He rarely was quite as loose on his late-'60s/early-'70s records as he is here, and that's what makes Midnight Creeper a keeper.

Lou, Lonnie,Idris, Blue, & G Benson. What more do you need to know?
Lou was most at home in an organ based setting, which showed off his melodic bop to best advantage.
It's like playing too much in tune see, fine in legit playing, but not on the bandstand.
There are a few in this series of Lou+organ, get them all.

This is worth 3.5 stars I think, and probably worth owning if you like jazz. The fourth track, "Bag of Jewels" doesn't rate much of a mention on the original sleave notes, but it is a totally cooking track. For me this one is the highlight of the album. Meanwhile the first three tracks seem pretty tame by comparison. The final track is rather interesting. The organ seems to steal the show on this whole album for me but maybe that is because there are so few examples of it around these days. Lou Donaldson's sax seems fairly constrained most of the way, but enjoyable to hear none the less. Overall this is an easy album to listen too, but it lacks a bit of spark and spontaneity on the first few tracks.

Probably the best of Lou Donaldson's backbeat-driven rock/funk recordings. With Melvin Sparks (guitar) and Idris Muhammad (drums). "Dapper Dan" is a King Curtis Tune.