Lou Donaldson at the VIS Club, San Francisco, June 1984

Photo by Brian McMillen (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Lou Donaldson

Alto Saxophone · born 1 November 1926 – died 9 November 2024

▸ Click for Richard Cook Bio

Donaldson has followed the bebop gospel for his entire professional life. After navy service he began working in New York, and was soon in heavy company: his first record dates were with Thelonious Monk and Milt Jackson, and he was with Clifford Brown in an early edition of the Jazz Messengers (1953). Thereafter, though, he was his own leader, and he has never really worked for anyone else. He was one of the first stalwart musicians for the Blue Note label, recording many albums for them between 1954 and 1975: while he was never 'family' at the label the way that Horace Silver was, he was happy to create a sequence of albums which tracked the move from hard bop to soul-jazz to a kind of R&B-funk music. He carried on into the 80s and 90s, still playing in a style extracted primarily from Charlie Parker but with the kind of simple bluesy feel which characterized the R&B saxophonists. Nevertheless, he regards Parker's music as the one true way, and he likes to consider crossover players as 'con-fusion musicians'.

Biography from Richard Cook's Jazz Encyclopedia (2005).

If you'd like more information, check out The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz (2002) or The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz (2007), both of which are still in print.

◆Outside Links

As leader

  • Lou Donaldson – Quartet Quintet SextetLou Donaldson – Quartet Quintet Sextet
  • Lou Donaldson Quintet – Wailing With LouLou Donaldson Quintet – Wailing With Lou
  • Lou Donaldson Quintet – Swing and SoulLou Donaldson Quintet – Swing and Soul
  • Lou Donaldson – Lou Takes OffLou Donaldson – Lou Takes Off
  • Lou Donaldson – Blues WalkLou Donaldson – Blues Walk
  • Lou Donaldson with The Three Sounds – LD+3Lou Donaldson with The Three Sounds – LD+3
  • Lou Donaldson – The Time is RightLou Donaldson – The Time is Right
  • Lou Donaldson – Sunny Side UpLou Donaldson – Sunny Side Up

Plays on

  • Milt Jackson – And The Thelonious Monk QuintetMilt Jackson – And The Thelonious Monk Quintet
  • Thelonious Monk – Genius of Modern Music, Volume TwoThelonious Monk – Genius of Modern Music, Volume Two
  • Art Blakey – A Night At Birdland, Volume OneArt Blakey – A Night At Birdland, Volume One
  • Art Blakey – A Night At Birdland, Volume TwoArt Blakey – A Night At Birdland, Volume Two
  • Clifford Brown – Memorial AlbumClifford Brown – Memorial Album
  • Gene Ammons – All-Star SessionsGene Ammons – All-Star Sessions
  • Thad Jones – The Magnificent Thad JonesThad Jones – The Magnificent Thad Jones
  • Jimmy Smith – A Date With Jimmy Smith, Volume OneJimmy Smith – A Date With Jimmy Smith, Volume One
  • Jimmy Smith – A Date With Jimmy Smith, Volume TwoJimmy Smith – A Date With Jimmy Smith, Volume Two
  • Jimmy Smith – At The Organ, Volume OneJimmy Smith – At The Organ, Volume One
  • Jimmy Smith – At The Organ, Volume TwoJimmy Smith – At The Organ, Volume Two
  • Jimmy Smith – House PartyJimmy Smith – House Party
  • Jimmy Smith – The SermonJimmy Smith – The Sermon

Mentioned in text

  • The Jazz Messengers – At the Café Bohemia, Volume OneThe Jazz Messengers – At the Café Bohemia, Volume One
  • The Jazz Messengers – At the Café Bohemia, Volume TwoThe Jazz Messengers – At the Café Bohemia, Volume Two
  • Thelonious Monk – Genius of Modern Music, Volume OneThelonious Monk – Genius of Modern Music, Volume One
  • Kai and Jay / Bennie Green – With StringsKai and Jay / Bennie Green – With Strings
  • Paul Chambers Sextet – Whims of ChambersPaul Chambers Sextet – Whims of Chambers
  • Lee Morgan – Indeed!Lee Morgan – Indeed!
  • Hank Mobley Quintet – Hank Mobley QuintetHank Mobley Quintet – Hank Mobley Quintet
  • Curtis Fuller – The OpenerCurtis Fuller – The Opener
  • Paul Chambers – Bass On TopPaul Chambers – Bass On Top
  • Freddie Redd / Hamp Hawes – Piano East / Piano WestFreddie Redd / Hamp Hawes – Piano East / Piano West
  • Prestige All-Stars – All Night LongPrestige All-Stars – All Night Long
  • Gene Ammons – FunkyGene Ammons – Funky
  • John Coltrane – ColtraneJohn Coltrane – Coltrane
  • Gene Ammons – Jammin’ In Hi FiGene Ammons – Jammin’ In Hi Fi
  • Paul Chambers – Paul Chambers QuintetPaul Chambers – Paul Chambers Quintet
  • Cliff Jordan – Cliff JordanCliff Jordan – Cliff Jordan
  • Cliff Jordan – Cliff CraftCliff Jordan – Cliff Craft
  • Louis Smith – Here Comes Louis SmithLouis Smith – Here Comes Louis Smith
  • Red Garland Quintet – All Mornin’ LongRed Garland Quintet – All Mornin’ Long
  • Red Garland Trio – MantecaRed Garland Trio – Manteca
  • Horace Silver Quintet – Finger Poppin’Horace Silver Quintet – Finger Poppin’
  • Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers – At the Jazz Corner of the World, Vol. 1Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers – At the Jazz Corner of the World, Vol. 1
  • Charles Mingus – Mingus Ah UmCharles Mingus – Mingus Ah Um
  • Gene Ammons – Blue GeneGene Ammons – Blue Gene
  • Duke Pearson – ProfileDuke Pearson – Profile
  • Donald Byrd – FuegoDonald Byrd – Fuego
  • Horace Parlan – Movin’ & Groovin’Horace Parlan – Movin’ & Groovin’
  • Sonny Red – Out of the BlueSonny Red – Out of the Blue
  • Jackie McLean – Capuchin SwingJackie McLean – Capuchin Swing
  • Stanley Turrentine – Look Out!Stanley Turrentine – Look Out!
  • Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers – At the Jazz Corner of the World, Vol. 2Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers – At the Jazz Corner of the World, Vol. 2
  • Horace Parlan – Us ThreeHorace Parlan – Us Three