Natural Soul [Import, Limited Edition, Original recording remastered]

Lou Donaldson | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 22, 2000)
• Original Release Date: 1962
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import, Limited Edition, Original recording remastered
• Label: EMI
• ASIN: B000056C6H
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,734,997 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "The Natural Soul" -- A Natural Choice for the RVG Series, February 27, 2003

By 

Michael B. Richman (Portland, Maine USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Natural Soul (Audio CD)

With the last several RVG releases, Michael Cuscuna has been able to reissue several Blue Note titles that have not been available on CD for going on ten years. Lou Donaldson's "The Natural Soul" was a natural choice to once again see the light of day. Recorded on May 9, 1962, "The Natural Soul" features Lou on alto sax, Tommy Turrentine (in a rare Blue Note stint away from brother Stanley) on trumpet, and the guitar/organ/drums trio of Grant Green, John Patton, and Ben Dixon. But this is not your average organ soul jazz record! Sure the obligatory groove track "Funky Mama" is here, but rest of the album puts more emphasis on great straight ahead jazz than it does in trying to conform to the soul jazz tag. In many ways the "natural soul" comes from a "natural swing" - five guys playing in top form and just letting it flow. Often Patton can be a bit heavy-handed for me, but here he shines and shimmers like Jimmy Smith. The frontline interplay between Lou and Tommy also helps to open things up. And surprise, the disc's best track just may be the ballad "That's All." If you like this Lou Donaldson performance, a next step should be to get the recently released "Complete 1957-60 Blue Note Recordings" on Mosaic, and in the meantime, enjoy a taste of "The Natural Soul."

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great find!, August 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Natural Soul (Audio CD)

Lou Donaldson's "The Natural Soul" is a tremendous soul-jazz disk. It marks the first appearance I know of for the great organist Big John Patton - always a great team with Grant Green on guitar and Ben Dixon on drums. Tommy Turrentine is an unheralded trumpeter who deserved more attention - everyone plays great on this album. The tracks I liked the best are "Sow Belly Blues" which also appears on The Best of Lou Donaldson, Volume 1 in the U.S.,a great up-tempo number with plenty of solo space for everyone, and two lovely ballads, "Love Walked In" and "That's All".

I looked for this album continually for almost 4 years; finally I have it thanks to Amazon! It was worth the wait.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A funky transition!, February 28, 2003

By 

Dr.D.Treharne (Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Natural Soul (Audio CD)

This album, recorded in 1962 straddles two eras, and the choice of material on the album reflects that.On the one hand there's a look back to standards like George and Ira Gershwins "Love walked in" with some lovely ensemble playing and the extended added track of Rodgers and Hammerstein's, "People will say we're in love" where all the performers get to solo, as well as playing in ensemble. However the look forward is to funk. Obviously John Patten's "Funky Mama" is the core track, and Patten get extensive solo time, propelled along by Ben Dixon ( the two of them had played together in Lloyd Price's road band- and it's the only time on the album that Dixon exerts himself to push the track along).The other really propulsive track is "Nice and Greasy" which sounds as though it might have been an edited version. The most compelling Donaldson playing is perhaps on the extended "Sow Belly Blues". Grant Green is in excellent form throughout, melding well with Patton's organ work. Tommy Turrentine plays best on the more upbeat funky tracks, but provides an excellent counterpoint to the alto sax. All in all this is a welcome re-issue that looks forward to the funky fare that was to be served up later in the decade by players from this session in various guises.Highly recommended, and of course likely to be discontinued soon, so buy it now!