Lou Donaldson - Sunny Side Up (mp3, 320)

Lou Donaldson - Sunny Side Up (mp3, 320)



Sunny Side Up is closer to hard bop than the straight-ahead bop that characterized Lou Donaldson's '50s Blue Note records. There's a bit more soul to the songs here, which pianist Horace Parlan helps emphasize with his lightly swinging grooves. The pair help lead the group -- which also features trumpeter Bill Hardman, drummer Al Harewood and bassist Sam Jones (Laymon Jackson plays bass on two of the eight songs) -- through a mellow set of standards and bluesy originals from Donaldson and Parlan. Even the uptempo numbers sound relaxed, never fiery. Despite the general smoothness of the session, Donaldson stumbles a little -- the quotation of "Flight of the Bumblebee" on "Blues for J.P." is awkward, as is the snippet of "Pop Goes the Weasel" on "Politely," and "Way Down Upon the Swanee River" sounds lazy -- but there's enough solid material to make Sunny Side Up a worthwhile listen for fans of Donaldson and early-'60s hard bop.



Personnel:

February 5, 1960

Lou Donaldson Quintet

Bill Hardman (tp) Lou Donaldson (as) Horace Parlan (p) Sam Jones (b) Al Harewood (d)



February 28, 1960

Lou Donaldson Quintet

Bill Hardman (tp -1,2,4) Lou Donaldson (as) Horace Parlan (p) Laymon Jackson (b) Al Harewood (d)



Track Listing:

01 Blues for J.P.

02 The Man I Love

03 Politely

04 It's You or No One

05 The Truth

06 Goose Grease

07 Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise

08 Way Down Upon the Swanee River