Lou Donaldson – Sunny Side Up (1960/2014) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

Lou Donaldson – Sunny Side Up (1960/2014)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 38:35 minutes | 1,70 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Blue Note Records

Sunny Side Up was recorded by Lou Donaldson on February 5 & 28, 1960 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewod Cliffs, New Jersey. Produced by Alfred Lion, the album has been described as “closer to hard bop than the straight-ahead bop that characterized Lou Donaldson’s ’50s Blue Note records” (Stephen Thomas Erlewine).

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.

Tracklist:
01. Lou Donaldson – Blues For J.P. (05:38)
02. Lou Donaldson – The Man I Love (05:12)
03. Lou Donaldson – Politely (05:50)
04. Lou Donaldson – It’s You Or No One (03:55)
05. Lou Donaldson – The Truth (05:19)
06. Lou Donaldson – Goose Grease (06:05)
07. Lou Donaldson – Softly As In A Morning Sunrise (06:33)

Personnel:
Lou Donaldson – alto saxophone
Horace Parlan – piano
Bill Hardman – trumpet (tracks 1-4, 6-8)
Laymon Jackson – bass (tracks 1-2, 4-5)
Sam Jones – bass (tracks 3, 6-8)
Al Harewood – drums

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