Lou Donaldson - Color As A Way Of Life + discog

LOU DONALDSON
Color As A Way Of Life
1977

72.1 MB
256+ VBR LAME mp3
Vinyl rip & scans from Cotillion 9915


Found a still-sealed copy of this a few weeks ago at local record shop for only $7. Now, I'd never heard the two Cotillion albums Lou made at the tail-end of the 70s (Different Scene and this one) but I hadn't heard much in the way of favourable reviews for them, either. However, I was pretty sure that since it was Sweet Poppa Lou accompanied on horns by longtime jazz vets Ernie Royal and Seldon Powell, there had to be enough going for it to make it worth some change back from a sawbuck. It should come as no surprise that it was a safe bet but had the price been on the other side of a dixie I don't know if I'd feel quite the same.

There are some sweet moments here despite the routine arrangements, sterile production and cut-rate roster, close to half of whom count this album as either their only credit or one of less than a handful. Except for drummer Jimmie Young most of the rhythm section were nobodies and both horn and string sections were split down the middle as far as seasoned session vet vs. unknowns is concerned. On the plus side, it's obvious a lot of these guys were going for broke and giving it their best shot, especially William Phipps on the rhodes (check out the sweet washes and nimble solos he sprinkles throughout) and A.C. Drummer on the guitar (this man loves the phased wah-wah sound for better or worse).

A couple cookers, a few ballads and a bit of funk make it worth the minimal fee but don't expect any revelations from Lou, who maintains his standard of techical excellence even though he tends to get buried in the busy arrangements or lost in the mix. Not essential by any means but it will have appeal for the more forgiving fans of LD and those of Jazz-Disco-Funk fusion in general.


Lou Donaldson - Alto Sax
A.C. Drummer, Jr. - Guitar
Jacob Hunter - Bass
William Phipps - Fender Rhodes, Clavinet
Jimmie Young - Drums
Raphael Cruz - Percussion, Conga
Paul G. Bogosian - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Ernie Royal - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
John Drew Kelly - Trombone, Bass Trombone
Seldon Powell - Flute, Baritone Sax
Irving Spice - Violin
Elliott Rosoff - Violin
David Sackson - Violin
Louis Stone - Violin
Jacqueline Copeland - Vocals


1 Too Much to Explain
2 Love for Sale
3 Piece of Your World
4 Passion Fruit
5 Comin' Thru the Back Door
6 Ebb Tide
7 Maker's Dream
8 Walkin' Sally


For more info on the man, be sure to click on his name in the line up above and visit his comprehensive website for a detailed bio and thorough notes on all the sessions he's played. While you're poking around you can make color a way of your life courtesy of Soundological HERE or HERE.


Lou's Links:
Official Website
Jazzdisco.ord
Black Success Foundation
Wikipedia
AllMusic

DISCOGRAPHY as Leader

1952 New Faces, New Sounds incl on Complete 1952 Blue Note Sessions
1953 New Faces, New Sounds, Vol. 2
1954 Lou Donaldson Sextet, Vol. 2
1957 Wailing with Lou at AvaxHome (FLAC)
1957 Swing and Soul at migue11e (FLAC) + JazzdispositiOn (mp3)
1957 Lou Takes Off at migue11e (APE) + JazzdispositiOn (mp3)
1958 Blues Walk at AvaxHome (APE) + pequeños discos rojos (mp3)
1958 Light Foot at My Favourite Sound /JazzdispositiOn (mp3) + Music Albums Free Download (FLAC)
1959 LD + 3: Lou Donaldson w/ the Three Sounds c/o grumpy (in comments)
1959 The Time Is Right at + migue11e (mp3)
1960 Sunny Side Up at AvaxHome (FLAC+mp3) JazzdispositiOn (mp3)
1960 Midnight Sun c/o grumpy pt1/pt2 (FLAC)
1961 Here 'Tis at AvaxHome (FLAC+mp3)
1961 Gravy Train at AvaxHome (FLAC) + migue11e (mp3)
1962 The Natural Soul at migue11e (APE) + Buns O'Plenty (mp3)
1963 Good Gracious! at migue11e (APE) + JazzdispositiOn (mp3)
1963 Signifyin'
1964 Possum Head
1964 Cole Slaw at Sun Ship (mp3)
1964 Rough House Blues c/o grumpy
1965 Musty Rusty at Jazzy Blues (FLAC)
1965 Fried Buzzard at Roots is for Everyone (mp3)
1966 Blowing in the Wind at Sun Ship (mp3)
1967 Lush Life at Soundological (mp3)
1967 Alligator Bogaloo at Soundological (mp3)
1967 Mr. Shing-A-Ling at Buns O'Plenty (mp3)
1968 The Midnight Creeper at AvaxHome (WV) + flageolette /jazzdisposition /Rangeraver's (mp3)
1968 Say It Loud! at Things & Stuff & Music /Hook's Hidden Gems (mp3)
1969 Hot Dog at miguelle (mp3)
1969 Everything I Play Is Funky at AvaxHome (WV) + Soundological (mp3)
1970 Pretty Things at Dust 2 Dust (mp3)
1970 The Scorpion: Live at the Cadillac Club at Roots is for Everyone /flageolette (mp3)
1971 Cosmos c/o My Jazz World (mp3)
1972 Sophisticated Lou
1973 Sassy Soul Strut c/o My Jazz World (mp3)
1974 Sweet Lou at Soundological (mp3)
1976 A Different Scene
1977 Color as a Way of Life at Soundological
1981 Sweet Poppa Lou
1981 Forgotten Man
1982 Back Street
1984 Live in Bologna
1990 Play the Right Thing
1992 Birdseed
1993 Caracas at migue11e (mp3)
1994 Sentimental Journey
2000 Relaxing at Sea: Live on the QE2

Assorted Compilations

The Complete 1952 Lou Donaldson Blue Note Sessions at migue11e (APE)
Quartet/Quintet/Sextet (1952-1954) at AvaxHome (FLAC)
A Man With A Horn (Unissued material from Blue Note 1961+1963) c/o Blaxploitation Jive (mp3)
Ha' Mercy (culled from Argo/Cadet catalogue 1961-1965) c/o My Jazz World pt1/pt2
Signifyin': The Best of Lou Donaldson at flageolette
Blue Break Beats at flageolette (mp3) + migue11e (APE)


All above links checked and updated Feb 12, 2010

Lou's Links:
Official Website
Jazzdisco.ord
Black Success Foundation
Wikipedia
AllMusic