Thursday, July 21, 2005  

Lou Donaldson
"Snake Bone"
Say It Loud!
(Water, 2005; Blue Note, 1969)

Say It Loud! is a decent soul-jazz record overall, but Lou Donaldson's "Snake Bone" features the band at its most active and inspired. Idris "Leo Morris" Muhammad's snare positively crackles (natch), his poppin' beats skipping all over the drum head. Guitarist Jimmy Ponder's solo sums up all his skills, from nasty blues licks to octave swarms, plus dirty hammer-ons and pull-offs. Organist Charles "The Mighty Burner" Earland lets loose with skittering melody lines and crowd-rousing drones and swells during his solo. Blue Mitchell's ringing, pure-soul trumpet tone punches through the mix, and Donaldson--playing an alto sax augmented by a Varitone electronic attachment for a slightly fuller, reverbier sound--is his usual funked-up self.

Buy from Forced Exposure.
Visit the fab reissue label Water.

Posted by CP | Link |

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