Lou Donaldson - Cole Slaw [New Rip: From the Archives]

Lou Donaldson - Cole Slaw - Argo LP 747 (Argo Original Pressing, Lozange Label, Argo]

[Updated version - here's a brand new lossless rip of this elusive Lou Donaldson Argo side. This posting way back in 2009 was a landmark one for the blog as it was one of the very first Argo rarities ever!]

Lou Donaldson - Alto Saxophone
Herman Foster - Piano
Early May - Bass
Ray Baretto - Conga Drums
Bruno Carr - Drums

Recorded: RCA Recording Studios, NYC, June 19, 1964

Produced by Esmond Edwards
Engineer: Ray Hall
Cover: Thomas Gorman

Released: February 13, 1965 

This is my first Argo/Cadet rarity that I'm posting here, a hard to find Lou Donaldson side cut in between his two more prominent stints on Blue Note. Several cuts on this LP have appeared on various compilations over the years, but I don't believe that this particular LP has been reissued on any CD/digital format since it first came out in 1964-65. As for the music, very good soul jazz, not too different from his Blue Note work - I really love 'Sweet Lou's tone which comes out very clearly off this very good LP rip. Enjoy

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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Lou Donaldson - Blowing in the Wind

Lou Donaldson - Blowing in the Wind - Cadet LP 789 - Cadet pressing, original pressing

Lou Donaldson - Alto Saxophone
Herman Foster - Piano
Sam Jones - Bass
Leo Morris - Drums
Richard Landrum - Conga Drums

Recorded - August 1966, RCA Custom Studios, NYC (No exact date listed on sleeve; August 30 according to Donaldson Discography)

Album Production & Supervision - Esmond Edwards
Engineer: Ray Hall
Cover Art: Judith Friedman
Cover Design: Tom Gormon

Released: June 24, 1967 (Approx)

Well, it's almost the weekend and it's time once again for posting another Argo/Cadet rarity - this time a particularly elusive side by Lou Donaldson on Cadet. My original posting of Lou's Cole Slaw last year remains the most popular posting/download on the blog ever, so this posting should be warmly received, I guess. Fantastic stuff from 'Sweet Lou' as ever, with good support from Herman Foster on Piano and Sam Jones on bass. Side begins off kilter with an odd Bob Dylan (!) cover (the title track), but then settles in nicely for a nice soul jazz groove. This side came out on a Japan only CD a decade ago, but has never received any kind of domestic reissue. Good fidelity; a nice restoration from only a good condition vinyl which only cost me 4.99!

Another AMG review (Jason Ankeny) Blowing in the Wind is perhaps the most curious and oddly compelling of the dates Lou Donaldson cut for Cadet during his mid-'60s exile from the Blue Note stable -- a mish-mash of contemporary pop hits, stage favorites, and standards all packaged in a bizarrely Picasso-like cover, the record's inconsistencies and contradictions make for an experience that's unique even in the context of Donaldson's erratic and eclectic oeuvre. The rollicking and buoyant reading of the Bob Dylan perennial which lends the set its title is completely wide of the mark -- Donaldson's arrangement is so upbeat and feather light, it's as if he never even glanced at the song's original lyrics, yet at the same time the groove is genuinely funky, and it's arguably the record's most truly soulful moment. A close second is the Donaldson original "The Wheeler-Dealer," which benefits from Sam Jones' "Duke of Earl"-inspired bass and its composer's blistering alto leads; although an ill-conceived rendition of "Hello Dolly" is forced and insipid, the group redeems itself with the lovely "Relaxin' in Blue," a 12-bar blues notable for the grace and restraint of its solos.

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