Lou Donaldson, born 1926, is a jazz alto-saxophonist. He was born in Badin (North Carolina). His soulful, bluesy alto saxophone playing is his best-known trait. However, he was heavily influenced by Charlie Parker’s improvisational style in his early years. In 1952, his first recordings were made with Thelonious Monk and Milt Jackson. He also led small groups that included jazz legends like Blue Mitchell, Horace Silver, and Art Blakey. He also recorded sessions in 1953 with Clifford Brown and Philly Jones, who would go on to record some of jazz’s most iconic records. He briefly joined the Jazz Messengers in 1954 and was featured on A Night at Birdland, one of their most well-received albums. He has recorded as a sideman but has never been part of any other band than the ones he led. He has been a bandleader since mid-1950s. He recorded in the bop and night at birdland genres. His pianist for many years was Herman Foster. Text contributed by users is available under Creative Commons By–SA License. It may also be available under GNU FDL.
