Lou Donaldson was an excellent bop altoist influenced by Charlie Parker, but with a more blues-based style of his own. His distinctive tone was heard in a variety of small-group settings, and he recorded dozens of worthy and spirited (if somewhat predictable) sets throughout the years. Donaldson started playing clarinet when he was 15, soon switching to the alto. He attended college and performed in a Navy band while in the military. Donaldson first gained attention when he moved to New York, and he started recording for Blue Note as a leader in 1952. At the age of 25, his style was fully formed, and although it would continue growing in depth through the years, Donaldson had already found his sound. In 1954, he participated in a notable gig with Art Blakey, Clifford Brown, Horace Silver, and Tommy Potter that was extensively documented by Blue Note and that directly pre-dated the Jazz Messengers. However, Donaldson was never a member of the Messengers, and although he recorded as a sideman in the '50s and occasionally afterward with Thelonious Monk, Milt Jackson, and Jimmy Smith, among others, he was a bandleader from the mid-'50s to the early 2020s. Donaldson's early Blue Note recordings were pure bop. In 1958, he began utilizing a conga player, and starting in 1961, his bands often had an organist rather than a pianist. His bluesy style was easily transferable to soul-jazz, and he sounded most original in that context. His association with Blue Note (1952-1963) was succeeded by some excellent (if scarce) sets for Cadet and Argo (1963-1966). The altoist returned to Blue Note in 1967 and soon became caught up in the increasingly commercial leanings of the label. For a time, he utilized an electronic Varitone sax, which completely watered down his sound. The success of "Alligator Boogaloo" in 1967 led to a series of less interesting funk recordings that were instantly dated and not worthy of his talent. However, after a few years off records, Lou Donaldson's artistic return in 1981 and subsequent soul-jazz and hard bop dates for Muse, Timeless, and Milestone found the altoist back in prime form, interacting with organists and pianists alike and showing off his timeless style. Lou Donaldson died on November 9, 2024, at the age of 98. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi