Lou Donaldson - At His Best

Lou Donaldson - At His Best - Cadet LP 815 - Original Cadet Pressing, Stereo, Blue Label

Lou Donaldson - Alto Sax, Vocals on A3
Bill Hardman - Trumpet
William Gardner - Organ
Calvin Newborn - Guitar
Grady Tate - Drums

Recorded - August 1966, RCA Studios, New York City [only date listed but according to most discographies, August 30, 1966; concurrent with the 'Blowin' in the Wind' side, but Jazz Discography Project has the wrong sidemen listed - correct personal on this side is similar to a live date Lou cut in August 1965 in Buffalo - namely Hardman and Gardner- which was later issued as 'Fried Buzzard' in 1970 during the GRT era- so perhaps closer to August 1965 than August 1966?]

Supervision - Dick LePalm
Album Production - Esmond Edwards and Richard Evans
Engineer - Ray Hall
Cover Photo - Ray Klein
Album Design - Jerry Griffith

Released - 1969?

My Lou Donaldson postings always get a great response - so here's another rarity from his rather underexposed stint on Chess Jazz - 'At His Best'! This side is misleading titled though, as it isn't any type of a compilation/best of collection - but a separate side entirely cut in either 1965/66 - with some dispute into its true discographical providence (see my notes above).

Anyways, while Lou has his very first attempt at vocals on 'Wig Blues' - cut very much in the Chess blues house style - he is very much overshadowed by his sidemen on the date - Bill Hardman on trumpet and William Gardner on organ who truly dominates this side by layin' down a tight groove - which may account for why it was originally shelved at the time and only issued in the closing days of the original Chess Brothers Argo/Cadet era sometime in 1969. Excellent fidelity off the original Cadet stereo vinyl.

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