BLP 4125

Lou Donaldson - Good Gracious!

Released - May 1964

Recording and Session Information

Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, January 24, 1963
Lou Donaldson, alto sax; John Patton, organ; Grant Green, guitar; Ben Dixon, drums.

tk.2 The Holy Ghost
tk.4 Good Gracious
tk.5 Caracas
tk.10 Cherry
tk.15 Bad John
tk.16 Don't Worry 'Bout Me

Session Photos

Photos: © Francis Wolff/Mosaic Images

Track Listing

Side One
Title	Author	Recording Date
Bad John	Lou Donaldson	24 January 1963
The Holy Ghost	Lou Donaldson	24 January 1963
Cherry	Don Redman	24 January 1963
Side Two
Caracas	Lou Donaldson	24 January 1963
Good Gracious	Lou Donaldson	24 January 1963
Don't Worry 'Bout Me	Rube Bloom, Ted Koehler	24 January 1963

Liner Notes

SINCE the days of the first revolutionary recordings made by Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, the basic instrumentation for a small jazz group has been saxophone (either alto or tenor), trumpet, piano, bass, and drums. In the middle fifties, however, after such musicians as Art Blakey and Horace Silver began playing a more earthy, blues-based music as a reaction to the effete experimentations of the popular West Coast musicians, another format began to be employed, and today may even be numerically stronger. It is the quartet composed of saxophone, guitar, organ and drums.

There are several reasons for this. It is probably not coincidental that Jimmy Smith, who almost singlehandedly popularized the organ as a jazz instrument, began to be known not long after the first impact of the Blakey-Silver records. For this music, which sometimes leaned on the tradition of the Negro church, effectively paved the way for the jazz use of an instrument primarily associated with church music. There is also an economic reason for the use of organ; the footpedals substitute for a string bass, and one less man is necessary. There is also a definite reason why the organ as a jazz instrument has never received wholehearted critical acceptance: in recent years, jazz has more and more split into categories, art and entertainment. The organ has been used almost exclusively in bands that are basically entertainment organizations, playing clubs rather than concerts, sometimes for dancing, almost always where patrons are laughing, talking, drinking; enjoying themselves rather than listening to the music with solemnly exclusive attention.

One effect of this increasing split in format and intent is that some careers and reputations have been remade, and are now more impressive than ever. Two of the most obvious examples are the saxophonists Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt; a third also a saxophonist, is Lou Donaldson, whose record this is. Long taken for granted as a good, Parker-influenced alto saxophonist, Donaldson has found, with the format he now employs, wider acceptance than ever before. His albums Gravy Train (4079) and Here 'Tis (4066) have become more popular than any of his previous work, and the Donaldson album made prior to this one, The Natural Soul (4108), now looks as though it will find the same reception.

What makes this unusual is that much of Donaldson's work is in direct contrast to the playing of some of those men whose music has made saxophone-organ combos unpopular in many circles. His playing evidences more reserve and control than the emotion-dispensers whose honking and screeching has tended to label anyone who works in this format. Also, he is an altoist; with the exception of Sonny Stiff, the other popular with-organ saxophonists are tenormen, and indeed, so is Stitt, much of the time.

Perhaps one reason for Donaldson's success is the high degree of musicianship of the members of his band. That, and the fact that he keeps a regular band together, a situation that is becoming more and more of a rarity. For instance, the present album contains the same personnel as The Natural Soul, the only difference being that trumpeter Tommy Turrentine is absent. At times, Donaldson will use Turrentine or Bill Hardman, and sometimes he plays without guitarist Grant Green, but the organization remains basically the same.

Green, who is something of a Donaldson protege, is happily present here, which will be reason enough for many to want to own this album. An unsparingly direct, single-line, blues-based guitarist, his reputation has gradually increased since he was first introduced on Blue Note a few years ago. he has since recorded several times for the company, both as a leader and as a sideman, and I would particularly recommend, for those desiring fuller exposure to his work, the album called Grantstand (4086).

Of great and unobtrusive assistance, and the veteran of many different kinds of recording sessions, is the drummer Ben Dixon.

Of particular interest is the new organist John Patton, first head on The Natural Soul. One of the reasons for Blue Note's success as an independent jazz label is that its executives pay attention to suggestions from the musicians themselves, and as a result, many of the men who record for the company work as unofficial talent scouts. Green, at Donaldson's recommendation, was signed as an exclusive artist by that process, and now the pattern has been repeated with another Donaldson discovery, Patton. From Kansas City, Missouri, Patton strikes me as a direct, uncluttered performer on an often unwieldy instrument, capable of emotional communication without unnecessary frills. He has recorded his first album as a leader for Blue Note since the present record was made, and it will shortly be released.

Bad John, the opener on the set and the first of four Donaldson originals, is named for Patton, the title being one more example of musicians' use of reverse slang. The piece is particularly interesting for the use of the shuffle rhythm that another entertainer, Jonah Jones, has parlayed into a highly lucrative commodity.

Earlier, mention was made of the jazz use of gospel music. The title The Holy Ghost should be enough to inform the listener that another instance is at hand. While most titles of such pieces make allusion to church and religion, I doubt that there has ever been a more direct reference than this. Which is, in a way, fitting, because church music, particularly in Patton's solo, has seldom been used more directly.

The mood changes completely with a bright, medium-tempoed performance of the old Don Redman tune, Cherry. Donaldson evokes memories of his playing during his earlier days on the jazz scene.

Caracas, while situated in Venezuela rather than Brazil, might indicate to an astute observer that a bossa nova is going to be played. "I recorded it a long time ago,' Donaldson says, with only a slight touch of irony, "but that was before the whole bossa nova craze.'

Good Gracious, the title track, is a fast blues with a repetitive line, of the type that is, when played by a combo such as his, guaranteed, to rock the club.

The set closes on a more reflective note, with a song made lasting by Billie Holiday, Don't Worry 'Bout Me.

Gospel, blues, bossa nova, a ballad. Six diverse reasons for the new popularity of Lou Donaldson.

-JOE GOLDBERG

Cover Photo by RONNIE BRATHWITE
Cover Design by REID MILES
Model: ROSE NELMES (Grandassa Models)
Recording by RUDY VAN GELDER