Product details
- Label Blue Note
- Artist Lou Donaldson
- Series Tone Poet Series
- Format 1LP
- Country United States
- Released Date 2019
- Genre Jazz
- Sealed Yes
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Mr. Shing-A-Ling by Lou Donaldson.
When Lou Donaldson stepped into the studio on October 27, 1967, he was riding a wave of soul jazz momentum that would define this chapter of his Blue Note tenure. "Mr. Shing-A-Ling" captures the alto saxophonist at a moment when the boundaries between jazz, R&B, and popular song were dissolving into something warm, danceable, and utterly of its era.
The record opens with a bold move: a take on "Ode To Billie Joe," Bobbie Gentry's brooding Southern narrative reimagined through Donaldson's blues sensibility. It's a signal of where this session is headed, an artist unafraid to pull from the pop charts and bend the material to his own greasy, grooving vision. What follows on the A-side leans into that spirit, with "The Humpback" bringing an original swagger and a foot planted firmly in the pocket.
Anchoring the sound throughout is Lonnie Smith at the organ, appearing here by courtesy of Columbia Records. Smith's Hammond work gives the session its churning, church-tinged foundation, that unmistakable soul jazz pulse that makes this style so immediate and physical. His interplay with Donaldson is the heartbeat of the record, a conversation between two players who understood how to make a groove breathe.
Side A closes with "The Shadow Of Your Smile," the Love Theme from "The Sandpiper." Here Donaldson eases off the throttle, letting his tone turn lyrical and tender. It's a reminder that beneath all the funk and forward motion lies a balladeer with a gorgeous sense of melody, and the contrast only sharpens the appeal of the rest of the program.
The B-side keeps the energy flowing with "Peepin'" and "The Kid," two cuts that let the band stretch out and settle into their strengths. This is music built for movement and mood alike, equally at home filling a room with warmth or rewarding the close listener who wants to follow every turn of phrase.
Originally released in 1967 by Blue Note Records, "Mr. Shing-A-Ling" stands as a quintessential document of the label's late-sixties soul jazz golden age. This edition arrives as a Blue Note release, © 2019 UMG Recordings, Inc., bringing that vintage session back to the turntable for a new generation of collectors and dancers. For anyone drawn to the meeting point of jazz craft and soulful accessibility, this is Lou Donaldson at his most inviting.
Pressing Details:
Recorded on October 27, 1967.
Lonnie Smith performs by courtesy of Columbia Records.
A Blue Note Records release; originally released in 1967 by Blue Note Records © 2019 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Track Listing:
A1. Ode To Billie Joe
A2. The Humpback
A3. The Shadow Of Your Smile (Love Theme From "The Sandpiper")
B1. Peepin'
B2. The Kid
Artist: Lou Donaldson
Format: 1LP
Genre: Jazz
Label: Blue Note
Catalog Number: B0029677-01
Series: Tone Poet Series
Release Year: 2019
Country: United States
Condition: Sealed (New)
Related: Read the full review
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