FEBRUARY 1

                 ABDULLAH IBRAHIM 
             The Dollar Brand Trio

                      Recording Date:
                             February 1963


                     Personnel:
                             Johnny Gertze     B
                             Abdullah Ibrahim  P
                             Makaya Ntshoko   D

                             Duke Ellington      Prod
            
                    LINK








Review by Scott Yanow
Pianist Abdullah Ibrahim (then known as Dollar Brand) was a newcomer to Europe in 1963, having recently left his homeland South Africa. His wife Bea Benjamin had persuaded Duke Ellington to see Brand perform, and he was so impressed that he produced Brand on a record date for Reprise with Dollar's trio (which included bassist Johnny Gertze and drummer Makaya Ntshoko), reissued on CD in 1997. Brand, who at the time was very influenced by Thelonious Monk and (to a lesser extent) Ellington, performs five originals plus Monk's "Brilliant Corners." Although his style was not as distinctive as it would become (there is little heard of his country's folk music), this is a consistently stimulating, exploratory and recommended, if (at 33-minutes) brief set.


JANUARY 30

                 MILES DAVIS
             Collectors' Items

                Recording Date:
                    January 30, 1953

                Personnel:

                    Miles Davis          TP
                    Charlie Parker     TS
                    Sonny Rollins       TS
                    Walter Bishop Jr. P
                    Percy Heath         B
                    Philly Joe Jones   D

             LINK 



Miles Davis Sextet
WOR Studios, NYC, January 30, 1953
450 Compulsion Prestige PRLP 7044, PR 7822, PR 24022 
451-1 The Serpent's Tooth, I - 
451-2 The Serpent's Tooth, II - 
452 'Round About Midnight - 

JANUARY 28-29

          RICHARD GALLIANO
            Samba Do Aviao
               
             Recording Date: 
                  January 28-30, 2005

            
             Personnel:
                  Hamilton de Holanda  MN
                  Richard Galliano       ACC



                     LINK








Review by Rick Anderson
To be a jazz mandolinist is to be part of a fairly select fraternity of players. And to be a jazz mandolinist who has been voted "Best Instrumentalist in Brazil" is probably to belong to a minority of one. Hamilton de Holanda holds both distinctions, though the word "jazz" is maybe a bit too narrow to describe his music. His specialty is choro, a homegrown Brazilian musical style that combines elements of jazz, tango, and various African rhythms, but on Samba Do Aviao he also demonstrates his facility with film music (a very nice arrangement of Ennio Morricone's theme from Cinema Paradiso) and samba (an equally attractive take on Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Samba do AviĆ£o"). His original compositions show an impressive stylistic range, from the contemplative "Dor Menor" to the jaunty "Na Hora do Recreio," and the sad and pretty "Ultimo Suspiro," with its Italianate tremolo passages. On eight of the album's 11 tracks, de Holanda plays all alone, with occasional multi-tracked passages filling in the sonic spaces from time to time, but on the final three numbers he is joined by accordionist Richard Galliano. Galliano seems to energize de Holanda on the disciplined but perky "Chorinho pra Ele," but things slow down again from there. There are a few moments when his playing sounds a bit haphazard, as if he were improvising rather than playing a composition (which, on some tracks, may well be the case). But overall, this is a very impressive solo effort from a major talent.
 

JANUARY 27

            WES MONTGOMERY
         Incredible Jazz Guitar

               Recording Date:
                     January 26-27, 1960


               Personnel:
                    Tommy Flanagan   P
                    Albert Heath        D
                    Percy Heath         B


                LINK











Review by Michael G. Nastos
The incredible Wes Montgomery of 1960 was more discernible and distinctive than the guitarist who would emerge a few years later as a pop stylist and precursor to George Benson in the '70s. On this landmark recording, Montgomery veered away from his home Indianapolis-based organ combo with Melvin Rhyne, the California-based Montgomery Brothers band, and other studio sidemen he had been placed with briefly. Off to New York City and a date with Tommy Flanagan's trio, Montgomery seems in his post- to hard bop element, swinging fluently with purpose, drive, and vigor not heard in an electric guitarist since bop progenitor Charlie Christian. Setting him apart from the rest, this recording established Montgomery as the most formidable modern guitarist of the era, and eventually its most influential. There's some classic material here, including the cat-quick but perhaps a trifle anxious version of the Sonny Rollins bop evergreen "Airegin," the famous repeated modal progressive and hard bop jam "Focus on Six," and Montgomery's immortal soul waltz "West Coast Blues," effortlessly rendered with its memorable melody and flowing, elegant chiffon-like lines. Flanagan, at a time shortly after leaving his native Detroit, is the perfect pianist for this session. He plays forcefully but never overtly so on the bop tracks, offering up his trademark delicacy on the laid-back "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" and easy-as-pie "Gone with the Wind." With the dynamic Philadelphia rhythm section of brothers Percy Heath on bass and drummer Albert Heath, they play a healthy Latin beat on the choppy and dramatic melody of Montgomery's original "Mr. Walker." Montgomery is clearly talented beyond convention, consistently brilliant, and indeed incredible in the company of his sidemen, and this recording -- an essential addition to every jazz guitarist fan's collection -- put him on the map.

JANUARY 26

                 SONNY CRISS
               Jazz USA session


                    Recording Date:
                        January 26, 1956
       

                   Personnel:
                       Sonny Criss        AS
                       Kenny Drew       P
                       Barney Kessel     G
                       Bill Woodson      B
                       Chuck Thompson D


                 LINK



      IM-981 Easy Living Imperial LP 9006, LP 9205
      IM-982 Criss Cross Imperial LP 9006 
      IM-983 Willow Weep For Me Imperial 5694, LP 9006, LP 9205 
      IM-984 Alabamy Bound Imperial LP 9006, LP 9205 

JANUARY 25

                       SONNY STITT
                        Inter-Action
             
                       Recording Date: 
                           January 25, 1965


                       Personnel:
                           Sonny Stitt       AS
                           Zoot Sims        TS
                           John Young      P
                           Sam Kidd         B
                           Phillip Thomas  D


                  LINK







Review by Scott Yanow
This album from 1956 by Zoot Sims (originally titled Zoot Sims Quartet), one from Sonny Stitt from 1958 (Burnin') and 1965's Interaction which features both Sims and Stitt. These sessions (all from the Cadet catalog) are consistently swinging and have a supporting cast that includes either Johnny Williams, John Young or Barry Harris on piano. The Sims-Stitt collaboration is of particular interest as are Sims's rare alto solos on his own date. Worth searching for.
 

JANUARY 24

             LOU DONALDSON
              Good Gracious


                  Recording Date:
                       January 24, 1963


                  Personnel:
                       Ben Dixon         D
                       Lou Donaldson   AS
                       Grant Green      G
                       Big John Patton O


             LINK









Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Good Gracious may be Lou Donaldson's record, but guitarist Grant Green and organist John Patton steal the show. Working with a tight, soulful groove laid down by drummer Ben Dixon, the guitarist and organist trade hot lines that often steal the thunder from Donaldson, who nevertheless turns in a robust, tuneful performance. Donaldson's tone is richer and fuller than it is on many of his early-'60s records, and he really connects with the laid-back R&B grooves and soul-jazz vamps on Good Gracious, turning in melodic, memorable solos. However, Grant and Patton take the songs even further with their intense solos and fills; Patton, in particular, sounds on fire even when the tempo is mellow. Good Gracious still falls prey to some of the lazy tempos that pop up on most Lou Donaldson records, but it remains one of his finest soul-jazz sessions.

JANUARY 23

                 SONNY RED
          Out of the Blue session                  
                   Recording Dates:
                        January 23, 1960


                   Personnel:
                        Jimmy Cobb    D
                        Sam Jones     B
                        Wynton Kelly  P
                        Sonny Red     AS


              LINK








Reviewby Scott Yanow
Sonny Red, a fine altoist inspired by Charlie Parker and Jackie McLean, never really made it in jazz, and some of his recordings are rather uninspired. However, that does not hold true for his Blue Note album, which has been reissued on this 1996 CD along with five previously unissued selections. Red, who is joined by pianist Wynton Kelly, either Sam Jones or Paul Chambers on bass, and either Roy Brooks or Jimmy Cobb on drums, never sounded better on records. He performs mostly little-known standards (along with six of his originals) and displays a fair amount of originality and a great deal of potential that was never really fulfilled. Recommended.

JANUARY 22

      RASHAAN ROLAND KIRK
  Prepare Thyself To Deal With a Miracle

            Recording Date:
                January 22, 1973


            Personnel:
                Roland Kirk  TS,CL,FL,AS
                Charles McGhee   TP

                Dick Griffin         TB
                Harry Smiles        OB
                Sanford Allen        VI

                Julien Barber        VI
                Selwart Clarke      VI
                Gayle Dixon          VI
                Al Brown              VIA
                Kermit Moore        CE
                Ron Burton            P



Henry Mattathias Pearson B
Robert Shy                       D
Sonny Brown                  Per 

Ralph MacDonald            Per
Dee Dee Bridgewater      Vo

Jeanne Lee                     Vo

LINK

Review by Thom Jurek
Recorded in 1973, this is yet another criminally underappreciated Rahsaan Roland Kirk recording from the last phase of a remarkable career. This is perhaps Kirk's most experimental recording in that it involves his most involved performing on multiple horns and flutes -- including his infamous and wonderful nose flute -- and working with drones on a more surface level. Given Kirk's system of playing three horns at once, the drone horn was always a part of his sonic architecture. The difference here is that the melodic and improvisational lines take a back seat on tunes such as the opening "Salvation and Reminiscing," where he makes fantastic use of a baby E-flat saxophone, and on "Celestial Bliss," on which he is accompanied on his "black mystery pipes" only by percussion. On the medley "Seasons: One Mind Winter/Summer/Ninth Ghost," Kirk begins with the nose flutes, playing a part of "Balm in Gilead," before bringing in a six-piece string orchestra to play behind him as he improvises on all the melodies and modes. And this improvisation is not just a series of out arpeggios playing legato and running through and over the changes, but intricately nuanced, gentle, and architecturally sophisticated wanderings. Despite the beauty of the album's first three tracks, it is on the closer, the 21-and-a-half-minute "Saxophone Concerto," where Kirk most leaves his mark as a composer and innovator on the jazz world. Kirk comes out blowing literally like a train and weaves in, with vocalists Jeanne Lee and Dee Dee Bridgewater, a series of muted horn lines and rhythm figures. The band is 16 pieces total, and the concerto is structured in movements from an intro in which the purpose is stated: "time for America to discover some of its true Black miracles," wherein bebop and hard bop shimmy up against free modes and articulations by the rhythm section and the other horns. Kirk may solo on top with his tenor, but he holds close to the rhythm section's articulation of mutated blues. From here, Latin and faux classical chromatics are shaded into the whole as the pace becomes more and more frenetic, and just as the piece becomes perhaps circus-like, Kirk and company strip it all back and out, into a free universe washed by improvising vocalists, crashing cymbals, droning brass, and rumbling tom-toms before it's all a hush of unidentifiable sounds except for those of breaking glass. There are numerous metaphors and metonyms here, but they will not come to the listener until later, when she or he regains the conscious notion of breathing.

JANUARY 21

                JOE LOVANO
          Live at Village Vanguard
                  
                  Recording Date:
                      January 22, 1995


                  Personnel:
                     Christian McBride B
                     Mulgrew Miller     P
                     Lewis Nash          D


              LINK









Review by Scott Yanow
Named Jazz Album of the Year by readers of Downbeat Magazine, this double CD features tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano during two appearances at the Village Vanguard recorded ten months apart.  The second disc showcases Lovano in a more conventional quartet. The repertoire (just one original this time) covers John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, and Gordon Jenkins and finds the tenorman displaying his roots in Sonny Rollins. The rhythm section on the later date (pianist Mulgrew Miller, bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Lewis Nash) is excellent at accompanying (rather than challenging) Lovano. Joe Lovano is heard in prime form, making this an easily recommended two-fer.

JANUARY 20

            CHARLES MINGUS
           Mingus Five session


                    Recording Date:
                          January 20, 1963

                   Personnel:
                          Rolf Ericson         TP
                          Richard Williams  TP
                          Quentin Jackson   TB
                          Don Butterfield     TU
                          Jerome Richardson FL,SS,VB
                          Dick Hafer             FL,TS
                          Charlie Mariano     AS
                          Jaki Byard             P
                          Jay Barliner          G
                          Charles Mingus      B,P
                          Dannie Richmond  D


                                                                                                         LINK

Review by Steve Huey
Having completed what he (and many critics) regarded as his masterwork in The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, Charles Mingus' next sessions for Impulse found him looking back over a long and fruitful career. Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus is sort of a "greatest hits revisited" record, as the bassist revamps or tinkers with some of his best-known works. The titles are altered as well — "II B.S." is basically "Haitian Fight Song" (this is the version used in the late-'90s car commercial); "Theme for Lester Young" is "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat"; "Better Get Hit in Your Soul" adds a new ending, but just one letter to the title; "Hora Decubitus" is a growling overhaul of "E's Flat Ah's Flat Too"; and "I X Love" modifies "Nouroog," which was part of "Open Letter to Duke." There's also a cover of Duke Ellington's "Mood Indigo," leaving just one new composition, "Celia." Which naturally leads to the question: With the ostensible shortage of ideas, what exactly makes this a significant Mingus effort? The answer is that the 11-piece bands assembled here (slightly different for the two separate recording sessions) are among Mingus' finest, featuring some of the key personnel (Eric Dolphy, pianist Jaki Byard) that would make up the legendary quintet/sextet with which Mingus toured Europe in 1964. And they simply burn, blasting through versions that equal and often surpass the originals — which is, of course, no small feat. This was Mingus' last major statement for quite some time, and aside from a solo piano album and a series of live recordings from the 1964 tour, also his last album until 1970. It closes out the most productive and significant chapter of his career, and one of the most fertile, inventive hot streaks of any composer in jazz history.

JANUARY 18

            STANLEY TURRENTINE
           Never Let Me Go

      
            Recording Date:
                 February 18, 1963 tk 1-6
                 January 18, 1963   tk 7-8


             Personnel:
                 Shirley Scott          O
                 Stanley Turrentine TS
                 Clarence Johnston  D
                 Sam Jones             B
                 Ray Barretto      CG tk 12
                 Al Harewood      D  tk 12
                 Major Holley      B  tk 12


             LINK



Review by Thom Jurek
This 1961 groove date by Stanley Turrentine is an example of him at his fiery peak. Far from the slow groover of the CTI years, Turrentine's early Blue Note sides were massive and bright, saturated in deep soul and blues. This set featured Turrentine's wife, organist and composer Shirley Scott, and a pair of alternating rhythm sections. The first is Major Holley on bass and Al Harewood on drums, and the second is with Sam Jones and Clarence Johnston. Latin Conguero Ray Barretto appeared with the Holley/Harewood band. The set opens with a stomping version of Lloyd Price's "Trouble," with Scott taking the early solo while driving the groove. Turrentine burns the edges of the tune and Barretto punches up the middle with decorative flourishes and fills. This is followed by the a deeply moving read of "God Bless the Child." With Turrentine playing in his smokiest, silkiest, Ben Webster-inflected tone. Scott's solo, by contrast, is pure blues. The coolest tune on the set is "Major's Minor," written by Stanley and Shirley. With its seeming quotations from "So What?" and "Chim Chim Cherie," in the foreground, it gives way to a completely funky blues, which is a bit of a surprise. But the easy swing and in-the-pocket saxophone soloing punctuated by fat, grooved-out chords by Scott make it the gem it is. The alternate rhythm section of Jones and Johnston appear on the title track. This is one of those grand ballads where the organ acts as the testifying pulpit from which to speak, and Turrentine not only speaks, he weeps and whispers and wails here. All the while his rhythm section layers washes of percussion and muted changes in ever-present but subtle shades of blue. It's a stunner.

JANUARY 17

                EARL  HINES
      Spontaneous Explorations

                  Recording Date
                        January 17, 1966


                  Personnel:
                        Earl Hines    P


                    LINK











 Review by Scott Yanow
The later session finds Hines, a veteran of the 1920s, sounding quite comfortable in a trio with two young modernists: bassist Richard Davis and drummer Elvin Jones. The pianist, in fact, sounds quite youthful throughout these classic recordings, taking wild chances and constantly pushing himself.

JANUARY 16

              ROY HARGROVE
         With Tenors of Our Time


              Recording Date:
                  December 18, 1993 tk 3,4,7
                  December 28, 1993 tk 2,6
                 January 16-17, 1994 tk 1,5,8,10


             Personnel:
                 Cyrus Chestnut     P
                 Rodney Whitaker  B
                 Roy Hargrove       FG,TP
                 Gregory Hutchinson D
                 Ron Blake             SS,TS
                 Joe Henderson      TS  tk 5,8
                 Branford Marsalis  TS  tk 3
                 Joshua Redman     TS   tk 11
                 Stanley Turrentine TS tk 1,10
                                                                                                    Johnny Griffin TS   tk 2,6

LINK


Reviewby Scott Yanow
Trumpeter Roy Hargrove has the opportunity of a lifetime on this recording, sharing separate songs with five great tenors: Johnny Griffin, Joe Henderson, Branford Marsalis, Joshua Redman, and Stanley Turrentine. Everyone fares well, including Hargrove's group (Ron Blake on tenor and soprano, pianist Cyrus Chestnut, bassist Rodney Whitaker, and drummer Gregory Hutchinson). The young trumpeter (who is vying for Lee Morgan's unoccupied chair) keeps up with the saxophonists on this generally relaxed affair; recommended for hard bop fans.

JANUARY 15

            KENNY DORHAM
             Whistle Stop
              
               Recording Date:
                    January 15, 1961


                Personnel:
                   Paul Chambers  B
                   Kenny Dorham   TP
                   Kenny Drew       P
                   Philly Joe Jones D
                   Hank Mobley     TS


               LINK







Review by Scott Yanow
Kenny Dorham was always underrated throughout his career, not only as a trumpeter but as a composer. The CD reissue of Whistle Stop features seven of his compositions, none of which have been picked up by any of the "Young Lions" of the '90s despite their high quality and many fresh melodies. Dorham teams up with tenor-saxophonist Hank Mobley (who he had recorded with previously along with Art Blakey and Max Roach), pianist Kenny Drew, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Philly Joe Jones for a set of lively, fresh, and consistently swinging music. This is a generally overlooked near-classic set.

JANUARY 14

                COUNT BASIE
                I Told You So


                 Recording Date:
                    January 12-14, 1976

              
                 Peronnel:
                    Count Basie     P
                    Jimmy Forrest TS
                    Freddie Green  G
                    John Duke        B
                     Butch Miles     D

                     Eric Dixon       S
                     Danny Turner  S
                     Bobby Plater   AS
                     Sonny Cohn    TP




Pete Minger     TP
Bobby Mitchell  TP
John Thomas   TP
Al Grey            TB
Curtis Fuller     TB
Mel Wanzo       TB

Bill Hughes       TB

LINK

Review:
I TOLD YOU SO is a collection of tunes by composer/arranger Bill Holman as performed by Count Basie and his Orchestra. Even though the album was recorded in 1976, toward the end of Basie's career, the energy and level of musicianship is high. Holman's compositions are lively and complex, as the opener, "Tree Frog," with its ever-escalating dialogue between brass and saxophones, aptly demonstrates.
Holman's ear for the nuances and deep bluesy feeling of Basie's orchestra rings through in songs like "Flirt," "Blues For Alphy," and "Plain Brown Wrapper," which features a tasty, intertwining piano vs. orchestra lines, with fine solos from saxophonist Jimmy Forrest and trombonist Al Grey. Holman's excellent songwriting and arranging skills combined with the top-drawer elegance and swing of Basie and his boys make this a thoroughly satisfying date.
From CD Universe.
By Scott Yanow
This is one of Count Basie's best big-band studio recordings for Norman Granz during his Pablo years. The arrangements by Bill Holman are both challenging and swinging, containing enough surprises to make this session a real standout.

JANUARY 13

              LESTER YOUNG
              Pres and Teddy
                        
               Recording Date: 
                    January 13, 1956


               Personnel:
                    Jo Jones          D 
                    Gene Ramey    B 
                    Teddy Wilson   P
                     Lester Young  TS 


                LINK








Review by Scott Yanow
Although it has been written much too often that Lester Young declined rapidly from the mid-'40s on, the truth is that when he was healthy, Young played at his very best during the '50s, adding an emotional intensity to his sound that had not been present during the more carefree days of the '30s. This classic session, a reunion with pianist Teddy Wilson and drummer Jo Jones (bassist Gene Ramey completes the quartet), finds the great tenor in particularly expressive form. His rendition of "Prisoner of Love" is quite haunting, the version of "All of Me" is also memorable, and all of the swing standards (which are joined by his original "Pres Returns") are well worth hearing. This date (which has been reissued on CD) was recorded the day after Young's other classic from his late period, Jazz Giants '56.
 

JANUARY 12

           PHAROAH SANDERS
                   Thembi
                   
             Recording Date:
                  November 25, 1970 tk 1-4
                  January 12, 1970     tk 5-6


             Personnel:
                     Pharoah Sanders       TS,FL,F,etc
                     Lonnie Liston Smith  P,Cym, etc
                     Cecil McBee               B
                     Roy Haynes               D
                     Nat Bettis                 Per
                     Chief Bey                  Per
                     Majid Shabazz           Per
                     Anthony Wiles           Per
                       
                 LINK




Review by Steve Huey
Recorded with two different ensembles, Thembi was a departure from the slowly developing, side-long, mantra-like grooves Pharoah Sanders had been pursuing for most of his solo career. It's musically all over the map but, even if it lacks the same consistency of mood as many of Sanders' previous albums, it does offer an intriguingly wide range of relatively concise ideas, making it something of an anomaly in Sanders' prime period. Over the six selections, Sanders romps through a tremendous variety of instruments, including tenor, soprano, alto flute, fifes, the African bailophone, assorted small percussion, and even a cow horn. Perhaps because he's preoccupied elsewhere, there's relatively little of his trademark tenor screaming, limited mostly to the thunderous cacophony of "Red, Black & Green" and portions of "Morning Prayer." The compositions, too, try all sorts of different things. Keyboardist/pianist Lonnie Liston Smith's "Astral Traveling" is a shimmering, pastoral piece centered around his electric piano textures; "Love" is an intense, five-minute bass solo by Cecil McBee; and "Morning Prayer" and "Bailophone Dance" (which are segued together) add an expanded percussion section devoted exclusively to African instruments. If there's a unifying factor, it's the classic title track, which combines the softer lyricism of Sanders' soprano and Michael White's violin with the polyrhythmic grooves of the most Africanized material (not to mention a catchy bass riff). Some fans may gripe that Thembi isn't conceptually unified or intense enough, but it's rare to have this many different sides of Sanders coexisting in one place, and that's what makes the album such an interesting listen.

JANUARY 11

                LEE KONITZ
               First Sessions

                   Recording Date:
                      January 11, 1949

                   Personnel:
                      Lee Konitz        AS
                      Lennie Tristano P
                      Bill Bauer          G
                      Arnold Fishkin   B
                      Shelly Manne     D


                 LINK 





1. Tautology
2. Retrospection
3. Subconscious Lee
4. Judy

JANUARY 10

                  EARL HINES
             Once Upon a Time


               Recording Date:
                  January 10, 1966 tk 1,4
                  January 11, 1966 tk 2-3,5-7

               Personnel:
                  Earl Hines        P             
                  Richard Davis   B
                  Elvin Jones       D tk2
                  Sonny Greer      D tk 1 
                  Cat Anderson    TP
                  Ray Nance         TP
                  Bill Berry           TP
                  Clark Terry        TP
                  Lawrence Brown TB
                  Buster Cooper    TB


Jimmy Hamilton  CL,TS
Johnny Hodges    AS
Russell Procope   AS
Harold Ashby      TS
Paul Gonsalves   TS

LINK

Review by Scott Yanow

For reasons that are unclear, this LP reissue of an Impulse set drops one of the seven songs ("Black and Tan Fantasy") from the program, reducing the playing time down to a mere 29 minutes. But if one finds this LP at a budget price, it is worth picking up, for the great pianist Earl Hines is featured on three selections with many of the members of the Duke Ellington Orchestra (including on the exciting "Once Upon a Time" and "Cotton Tail"), in a quartet featuring Jimmy Hamilton and with a nonet that also includes clarinetist Pee Wee Russell along with some Ellingtonians. Great music, lousy packaging.

JANUARY 9

              LOU DONALDSON
                 Pretty Things


                   Recording Date:
                       January 09, 1970


                   Personnel:
                      Lou Donaldson  AS,SS
                      Ted Dunbar       G
                      Jimmy Lewis      B,G
                      Blue Mitchell      TP
                      Idris Muhammad D
                      Lonnie Smith      O
                      Melvin Sparks     G
                      Leon Spencer      O




             LINK



Review by Scott Yanow
Lou Donaldson has recorded many strong sessions throughout his career but this CD reissue brings back one of the less-significant ones. Organist Leon Spencer dominates the ensembles, the material is a bit trivial and the altoist/leader uses a baritone sax on some of the selections which makes him sound much less individual than usual. Trumpeter Blue Mitchell's solos and a fine closing jam on "Love" help upgrade the music a bit but there are many better Donaldson recordings to acquire first.