Lou Donaldson - The Blue Note Years (1999)

The Blue Note Years (1999) is a licensed compilation released by CM Distribution, tracing the essential arc of Lou Donaldson's long association with Blue Note Records across roughly three decades. Curated to guide the listener from the lyrical hard bop of the late 1950s — represented here by "Blues Walk" and "Cool Blues" — through to the organ-drenched funk that earned Donaldson a broader audience in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the set functions as both an introduction and a miniature retrospective.
Donaldson occupies a singular place in the Blue Note canon: shaped by Charlie Parker, he nonetheless maintained melodic warmth and blues integrity at a time when jazz was pulled in contradictory directions. Ballads like "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" and "The Man I Love" showcase his impeccable standard readings, while "Alligator Boogaloo" and "Midnight Creeper" capture the precise moment jazz started to groove with funky abandon. The collaborative "Blue Moon" with The 3 Sounds offers a compact gem of chamber soul-jazz. The late entry "Turtle Walk" rounds out the picture, illustrating Donaldson's ease within the organ-combo format that would remain a cornerstone of his work well into the 1970s.

Tracklist:
1-1 Lou Donaldson - Alligator Bogaloo [6:52]
1-2 Lou Donaldson - Blues Walk [6:41]
1-3 Lou Donaldson - Be My Love [5:44]
1-4 Lou Donaldson - Polka Dots And Moonbeams [4:59]
1-5 Lou Donaldson - The Man I Love [5:13]
1-6 Lou Donaldson - There Is No Greater Love [6:53]
1-7 Lou Donaldson - Groovin' High [6:23]
1-8 Lou Donaldson;The 3 Sounds - Blue Moon [3:03]
1-9 Lou Donaldson - Cool Blues [6:53]
1-10 Lou Donaldson - The Shadow of Your Smile [6:24]
1-11 Lou Donaldson - Turtle Walk [7:54]
1-12 Lou Donaldson - Midnight Creeper [6:31]