Lou Donaldson (born November 1, 1926) is a jazz alto saxophonist. He was born in Badin, North Carolina. He is best known for his soulful, bluesy approach to the alto saxophone, although in his formative years he was, as many were of the bebop era, heavily influenced by Charlie Parker's improvisational approach. November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Jazz is an original American musical art form originating around the start of the 20th century in New Orleans, rooted in Western music technique and theory, and is marked by the profound cultural contributions of African Americans. ... A saxophonist is a musician who plays the saxophone. ... Badin is a town located in Stanly County, North Carolina. ... Alto saxophone The alto saxophone is a variety of the saxophone, a family of woodwind instruments invented by Adolphe Sax. ... Bebop or bop is a form of jazz characterized by fast tempos and improvisation based on harmonic structure rather than melody. ... Charlie Parker Charles Bird Parker, Jr. ...

His first recordings were with bop emissaries Milt Jackson and Thelonious Monk in 1952, and lead several small groups with other jazz luminaries such as trumpeter Blue Mitchell, pianist Horace Silver and the indomitable skinsman, Art Blakey. Milton (Milt) Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999) was an American jazz vibraphonist and one of the most important figures in the hard bop style. ... Thelonious Monk, as featured on the cover of his 1956 album, Brilliant Corners (1958 reissue cover shown) Thelonious Sphere Monk (October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was a jazz pianist and composer. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Richard Allen (Blue) Mitchell (March 13, 1930 – May 21, 1979) was an American jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, rock, and funk trumpeter. ... Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silver (born September 2, 1928 in Norwalk, CT) is a famous jazz pianist and composer. ... Arthur (Art) Blakey, also known as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina, (October 11, 1919 – October 16, 1990) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. ...

In 1953, he also recorded sessions with the trumpet virtuoso Clifford Brown, and Philly Joe Jones, both who would go onto record some of the most renowned records of the jazz idiom. In 1954, Donaldson briefly joined the emerging hard bop ensemble, the Jazz Messengers, and appeared on one of their most popular albums, A Night At Birdland. Clifford Brown: Memorial Album on Blue Note Records. ... Joseph Rudolph (Philly Joe) Jones (July 15, 1923 – August 30, 1985) was an American jazz drummer. ... An idiom is an expression (i. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Hard bop is an extension of bebop (bop) music which incorporates influences from rhythm and blues, gospel music, and blues, especially in the saxophone and piano playing. ... The Jazz Messengers were a jazz ensemble founded by Art Blakey and Horace Silver in 1955. ...

Although he has recorded as a sideman, he has never belonged to any band other than those of which he was leader; he has been a bandleader since the mid-1950s. He has recorded in the bop, hard bop, and soul jazz genres. For many years his pianist was Herman Foster. A Sideman is a professional musician who is hired to perform or record with a group of which he is not formally a member. ... In music, a band is a group of musicians, or musical ensemble, usually popular or folk, playing parts of a musical arrangement. ... The 1950s were a decade that spanned the years 1951 through 1960. ... Bebop or bop is a form of jazz characterized by fast tempos and improvisation based on harmonic structure rather than melody. ... Hard bop is an extension of bebop (bop) music which incorporates influences from rhythm and blues, gospel music, and blues, especially in the saxophone and piano playing. ... Soul jazz was a development of hard bop which incorporated strong blues and gospel influences in music for small groups featuring keyboards, especially the Hammond organ. ...

Quotations

• "One of the unique qualities of Lou's work is that he incorporates a great deal of the whole jazz tradition in his playing. He's listened to just about everyone, and not only alto players. With this knowledge of the entire jazz language, Lou is definitely an individual voice." - Horace Parlan

• "I don't care what kind of style a group plays as long as they settle into a groove where the rhythm keeps building instead of changing around. It's like the way an African hits a drum. He hits it a certain way, and after a period of time, you feel it more than you did when he first started. He's playing the same thing, but the quality is different -- it's settled into a groove. It's like settin' tobacco in a pipe. You put some heat on it and make it expand. After a while, it's there. It's tight." - Lou Donaldson

Horace Parlan (born 1931 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an American jazz piano player. ...

References

• Lou Donaldson at the All Music Guide
• "Lou Donaldson at Blue Note Records." URL accessed on September 09, 2005.
• "Lou Donaldson: The Hard Bop Homepage." URL accessed on May 24, 2006.
• "Lou Donaldson." URL accessed on May 24, 2006.
• "Lou Donaldson: Old School...and Still Cool." URL accessed on May 24, 2006.
• "Look for Lou Live." URL accessed on May 25, 2006.