Lou Donaldson's 1961 classic, Here 'Tis, reissued in immaculate audiophile quality by Analogue Productions, stands as a foundational, sizzling, and quintessential masterpiece of the early soul jazz movement. The brilliant alto saxophonist, deeply rooted in the fiery bebop language of Charlie Parker, effortlessly shifts gears into an earthy, blues-drenched, and foot-tapping groove session. What makes this particular Blue Note date legendary is the historic, initial alignment of Donaldson with three cornerstones of the greasy organ-trio aesthetic: a young, emerging guitar genius Grant Green, the deeply soulful Hammond B-3 organ wizard Baby Face Willette, and the flawlessly steady, propulsive drummer Dave Bailey. Together, they cook up an irresistible, blues-heavy sound canvas. From the infectious, heavy-grooving title track and the energetic shuffle of Watusi Jump to the slow-burning, gospel-tinged strut of Walk Wid Me, the quartet strips away academic pretense to deliver acoustic jazz at its most kinetic, visceral, and joyously swinging. This definitive audiophile transfer captures every ounce of the smoky, warm studio room ambiance and deep room thumping bass frequencies.

An overlooked funky gem from Lou Donaldson - a later date for Blue Note, done in a style that's a bit expanded from his small combo sets of the 60s - but still filled with plenty of soul and groove! The lineup features core key players Leon Spencer on Hammond, Melvin Sparks on guitar, and Idris Muhammad on drums - but there's also some added percussion, trumpet from Ed Williams, and a bit of vocals from the group Essence - who slide in with this slinky soul groove that's mighty nice. Lou plays alto sax - both electric and acoustic - and the tunes include the great originals "The Caterpillar" and "Caracas" - plus a sublime remake of Curtis Mayfield's "If There's A Hell Below (We're All Going To Go)", and a sweet take on "I'll Be There".

Alligator Bogaloo is one example of Lou Donaldson's successful combinations of hard bop and soul-jazz. Of the six tunes, three are Donaldson originals, including the title hit. The excellent band, consisting of Melvin Lastin, Sr. on cornet, George Benson on guitar, Lonnie Smith on organ, and Leo Morris on drums, mixes laid-back vamps beneath driving hard bop charts. As the '60s turned into the '70s, Donaldson began shaving off hard bop invention for a more radio-friendly and 45 rpm length, leaving soulful - yet monotonous - vamping. At that point, Donaldson's material suffered from a lack of originality. That's not the case on Alligator Bogaloo.

As he delved deeper into commercial soul-jazz and jazz-funk, Lou Donaldson became better at it. While lacking the bite of his hard bop improvisations or the hard-swinging funk of Alligator Bogaloo, Midnight Creeper succeeds where its predecessor, Mr. Shing-A-Ling failed: it offers a thoroughly enjoyable set of grooving, funky soul-jazz. The five songs - including two originals by Donaldson and one each by Lonnie Smith (who also plays organ on the record), Teddy Vann, and Harold Ousley - aren't particularly distinguished, but the vibe is important, not the material. And the band - Donaldson, Smith, trumpeter Blue Mitchell, guitarist George Benson, and drummer Leo Morris - strikes the right note, turning in a fluid, friendly collection of bluesy funk vamps. Donaldson could frequently sound stilted on his commercial soul-jazz dates, but that's not the case with Midnight Creeper…

Best known for his soul-jazz and breakbeat-friendly grooves of the late '60s and early '70s, alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson first established himself as a strong bop player in the Charlie Parker mold. His sweet and slightly tart tone was freshly essayed on several fine combo outings from the '50s, most of which at least gave a nod to the R&B-based material to follow. And while its sequel takes care of those groove cuts from the Age of Aquarius, this first volume of Donaldson's best keeps it swingin' with several top Blue Note sides from 1957-1967. A stellar taste of the future funk gravy aside ("Alligator Boogaloo"), the nine tracks here embrace Donaldson's early bop 'n' blues mantra via a mix resplendent with roots ("Groovin' High"), easy strollin' swing ("The Blues Walk"), a Bird-meets-the-B-3 moment ("Sow Belly Blues"), and a rare big-band ballad ("Sweet Slumber")…

On the Corner is yet another excellent Blue Note U.K. compilation of absolutely killer cuts from Blue Note's prime jazz-funk years in the wake of the soul-jazz explosion of the 1960s and Miles Davis' electric innovations in the late '60s and '70s. Typical of Blue Note in the period, these tracks all came from albums that were, in one sense, birds of a feather. In other words, whatever was "happening," Blue Note recorded it almost exclusively and forced even established artists to fit into that mold. While there were some mixed results, obviously, there is also a wealth of great material to choose from, as this funk-centric compilation makes very clear. One can already judge where the set is headed when it begins with Gene Harris' truly grooving "Losalamitoslatinlovesong." Harris cut three terrific electric jazz-funk sets for the label in the 1970s, only one of which has ever been available on CD. But other selections – such as Eddie Henderson's "Kumquat Kid," Ronnie Foster's "Cheshire Cat," Ronnie Laws' "Always There," and Moacir Santos' "Route" – offer funky fusion delights as well. There are 20 tunes on two discs, each of them jam-packed with gems.

Granted, a single-disc overview of Blue Note's finest recordings can't help but offer listeners more than a myopic view of the label's true scope, but for jazz neophytes, this nine-track collection will undoubtedly serve as a tantalizing taste of the company's riches. The song selection, though lacking few surprises, is consistently wonderful – how could a disc featuring John Coltrane's "Blue Train," Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage," Horace Silver's "Song for My Father" and Lee Morgan's "The Sidewinder" be anything but? – and purists' complaints aside, for new fans it's a solid introduction to the Blue Note magic.

After brief sojourns at Argo and Cadet, Lou Donaldson marked his 1967 return by recording Lush Life, the grandest project he ever attempted. With its plush arrangements and unabashedly pretty melodies, Lush Life stands in stark contrast to everything else he cut in the '60s. There are no blues, no stabs at soul-jazz grooves, no hard bop - only sweet, sensitive renditions of romantic standards. Donaldson shone on ballads before, but it's nevertheless surprising how successful he is on this set of slow love songs. His tone is full and elegant - it's easy to get lost in his rich readings of these familiar melodies, as well as his slyly seductive improvisations. Of course, it helps that his instrumental backdrops are as lovely as those his nine-piece backing band provide…

Gravy Train is a fine, if not quite exceptional record from Lou Donaldson's initial soul-jazz phase of the early '60s. Actually, given the title and the period in which it was recorded, the album isn't quite as greasy and funky overall as one might expect; most of the repertoire is devoted to pop ballads and mid-tempo standards, the latter of which tends to bring out more of the bop elements in Donaldson's playing. That's not true for the entire album, though; the title cut is a laid-back, conga-tinged, bluesy groover in the classic Donaldson mold, even if it's a bit workmanlike. Donaldson's longtime pianist, Herman Foster, is allotted quite a bit of solo space here, and he concentrates more on thick, rippling chords than single-note lines…

The Natural Soul finds Lou Donaldson delving deeply into soul-jazz, recording a set of funky, greasy instrumentals with only a few references to hard bop. Donaldson occasionally sounds a little awkward with the relaxed groove of The Natural Soul, as does trumpeter Tommy Turrentine, but the trio of guitarist Grant Green, organist John Patton, and drummer Ben Dixon keep things cooking. Green and Patton's solos often burn and are always invigorating, and Lou frequently matches their heights. The original compositions - which form the bulk of the album - aren't much more than blues and soul vamps, but they provide an excellent foundation for the combo to work hot grooves. And, in the end, that's what The Natural Soul is about - groove. It maintains the high standards Donaldson established with his first soul-jazz foray, Here 'Tis, and remains one of his best records in that genre.

This release presents Lou Donaldson’s complete original LP "Here 'Tis", which marks the first of his six recording sessions with the brilliant guitarist Grant Green. The group is complemented by organist Baby Face Willette (with whom Donaldson would never record again), and drummer Dave Bailey. Also included here is a complete session recorded by Donaldson and Green shortly after in the same format, but this time with Brother Jack McDuff on organ (with whom the saxophonist would never collaborate again), and Joe Dukes on drums.

Nine soul-jazz cuts from the Blue Note vaults from between 1967 and 1970, all previously unreleased, alternate takes, or (in one case) only released on a single, by major figures such as Grant Green, Lou Donaldson, John Patton, Lonnie Smith, and John Patton. This doesn't really rate with the cream of the genre - all of the aforementioned artists have better work in the style available on their own full-length albums, and some of the cuts are fairly unremarkable adaptations of late-'60s soul and pop hits. It's a good deal for the collector, though, offering over 70 minutes of material unavailable elsewhere.