Product details
- Label Blue Note
- Artist Lou Donaldson
- Format 1LP
- Country United States
- Released Date 2009
- Genre Jazz
- Sealed Yes
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Say It Loud! by Lou Donaldson.
When Lou Donaldson leaned into the funk and soul currents of his era, he did so without ever losing the fluency that made him one of the most distinctive alto voices in jazz. "Say It Loud!" captures that balance in full, a record where deep grooves and blues feeling share the same room with the kind of melodic command Donaldson had spent decades perfecting. This is soul jazz with its sleeves rolled up, warm and immediate from the opening bars.
The title track sets the tone. "Say It Loud I'm Black And Proud" arrives with conviction, a statement of purpose that Donaldson turns into a vehicle for greasy, hard swinging expression. It is the sort of tune that announces exactly where the session lives, rooted in the rhythm and pride of its moment yet carried by Donaldson's unmistakable phrasing on alto.
From there the album stretches its range. "Summertime" gives Donaldson room to breathe, taking a standard everyone knows and coloring it with his own patient, singing lines. It is a reminder that beneath the funk lies a player steeped in ballad craft and the blues, someone who can make a familiar melody feel newly considered. "Caravan" follows with its restless, exotic pulse, a workout that lets the band lean into rhythm and momentum.
Side B keeps the energy grounded and physical. "Snake Bone" slinks along with a low, insistent feel, the kind of groove that rewards repeat listening and turns a room warm. "Brother Soul" closes things out true to its name, a piece of unabashed soul jazz that ties the whole set together and leaves you reaching to flip the record back over.
Across these five tracks, the appeal is in the consistency of vision. Donaldson never treats groove and artistry as opposing forces; he lets them feed one another, so that even the most head nodding moments carry real improvisational weight. It is music built for the body and the ear at once, generous and direct, never showy for its own sake.
This is a reissue pressing, carrying a different catalogue number and matrix information from the original, which makes it an accessible way to bring a genuine slice of Donaldson's soul jazz catalog onto your turntable. For anyone drawn to the meeting point of jazz, blues, and funk, "Say It Loud!" is a rewarding addition to the shelf, a record that plays as good company on a quiet evening and holds its own among the deeper cuts in any collection.
Pressing Details:
Reissue with different catalogue# and matrix info.
Track Listing:
A1. Say It Loud I´m Black And Proud
A2. Summertime
A3. Caravan
B1. Snake Bone
B2. Brother Soul
Artist: Lou Donaldson
Format: 1LP
Genre: Jazz
Label: Blue Note
Catalog Number: BLP 4299
Release Year: 2009
Country: United States
Condition: Sealed (New)
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