Lou Donaldson - Say It Loud
Released - 1968
Recording and Session Information
Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, November 6, 1968
Blue Mitchell, trumpet; Lou Donaldson, electric alto sax, vocals; Charles Earland, organ; Jimmy Ponder, guitar; Leo Morris, drums.
tk.2 Brother Soul
tk.3 Snake Bone
tk.8 Say It Loud
tk.10 Caravan
tk.12 Summertime
Track Listing
| Side One | ||
| Title | Author | Recording Date |
| Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud) | James Brown, Pee Wee Ellis | November 6 1968 |
| Summertime | George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, DuBose Heyward | November 6 1968 |
| Caravan | Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Juan Tizol | November 6 1968 |
| Side Two | ||
| Snake Bone | Lou Donaldson | November 6 1968 |
| Brother Soul | Donaldson, Leon Spencer | November 6 1968 |
Liner Notes
"SAY IT LOUD" is not the basic key to the feeling and meaning of this album, it's the second line of the title song that tells the whole story ... I'M BLACK AND I'M PROUD." It's the musical culmination of a feeling of self assertion that has been a long time in coming (on a major scale) and is most definitely here to stay.
The music Lou Donaldson and the great group of musicians that assist him has created does not cry out in anguish or scream for justice but rather states a simple fact ."this is our way of telling people who we are and what we can do." And what they can do amounts to one hell of a sound.
For this album, as well as his three previous releases on Blue Note Records (ALLIGATOR BOGALOO — 4263, MR. SHING-A-LING — 4271, MIDNIGHT CREEPER — 4280) Lou, as they say in the sport's world has again "gone with a winner" or in this case winners. With the exception of a young organist named Charles Earland, who has taken Lonnie Smith's place (Lonnie has formed his own group) the rest of the group remains beautifully intact: Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Jimmy Ponder on guitar and Leo Morris on drums.
Earland, still in his twenties, hails from Philadelphia where he had his own group for several years. After Lou heard him in Indianapolis early last year, Earland joined Lou in the middle Of '68. His debut on Blue Note is an auspicious one, he surely is a funky and swinging performer with a fine feeling for Lou's happy brand of jazz.
The title tune Say It Loud with its spontaneous vocal and infectious beat shows how and jazz can be effectively combined. Undoubtedly, it will be dug by just about everyone. Snake Bone and Brother Soul, Lou's own compositions, will also hit you right. Lou's tunes are unending variations on the blues with a distinct quality of their own. I wouldn't know of a better way to spend 18 minutes than to listen to these two splendid tracks which abound in sparkling solos by all concerned. Low-keyed and swinging versions of Summertime and Caravan round out the soulfest.
Lou, incidentally, plays the "varitone" alto sax on this LP. He says, that the varitone has more "body" and makes for excellent playing in combination with the organ.
Lou has again captured the essence of jazz on this album. It is filled with that unique "eternal feeling" that is the Blues.
JERRY BOULDING
Program Director
Radio Station
75th Anniversary Reissue Notes
"Say It Loud!" is the fourth album by Lou Donaldson's quintet with Blue Mitchell, Jimmy Ponder and Idris Muhammad after the phenomenal "Alligator Bogaloo" followed by 'Mr. Shing-A-Ling" 'and 'Midnight Creeper". Charles Earland takes Lonnie Smith's place at the organ.
The title tune by James Brown and "Snake Bone" were released as a single and appeared on enough jukeboxes to make the album a hit but the stripped-down sound of Lou Donaldson's quintet went far beyond covering the hits of R&B artists. Originals like "Brother Soul" (heard here in a bonus alternate take) and revamped versions of classics like "Caravan" and "Summertime" made the Lou Donaldson Quintet one of the hottest recording acts of the late '60s.
Michael Cuscuna
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