Altoist
Lou Donaldson was never exactly a "forgotten man," but his boppish style had been largely overlooked since his commercial electric funk sessions for Blue Note in the early to mid-'70s. This is a straightahead acoustic quartet date with pianist
Herman Foster (whose block chord solos on a couple of numbers are quite exciting), bassist Geoff Fuller and drummer
Victor Jones.
Donaldson romps through some bop standards,
Tadd Dameron's lesser-known "This Is Happiness" and his own "Tracy" and takes a humorous vocal on "Whiskey Drinkin' Woman." Although not essential, this album should easily please
Lou Donaldson's fans, for it finds him in exuberant form. ~ Scott Yanow