Lou Donaldson Quartet with piano!

[Michael Weiss]

Lou Donaldson makes a rare return to the organ-less quartet format next week at the Vanguard. Yours truly on piano. bass and drums TBA.

[Dan Gould]

That's very cool to hear, particularly if that means a little freshening up of the setlist.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

no kiddin, thats good to know-- i home some of u guys have the permission from l.d. to record the proceedings in some fashion, it would be a shame for this particular moment in lou donaldson jazz history go to waste

[Aggie87]

...maybe somebody can call Lou and ask him to record it? Anybody have his phone number?

Edited June 19, 2008 by Aggie87

[Soulstation1]

Duh

SAM-WICH

[AllenLowe]

who's the rest of the rhythm section?

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Perhaps you could persuade him to play an Ornette Coleperson tune

Have a good time with him.

And let us know how it went.

MG

[Michael Weiss]

That's very cool to hear, particularly if that means a little freshening up of the setlist.

It's definitely been a little static for a while now - but it often depends who's playing with him. There was a time when I was working with him a lot in the mid-80s when he might play anything. Suffice to say he never announces the tune beforehand. Neither does he count off a tempo. He just starts and everyone falls in line. I learned a lot of tunes on the bandstand with Lou! I remember a gig in Connecticut (Jamil Nasser on bass) when after about eight bars he turned to me and said in that high pitch, "You don't know that, man?" He was playing the tune "You." After one or two choruses I did. One of the best training grounds in jazz. I was fortunate to cut my teeth with Lou, Junior Cook, George Coleman, Bill Hardman, Slide, Clifford Jordan. Young players coming up today rarely get that kind of training anymore.

[Tom Storer]

who's the rest of the rhythm section?

You don't know TBA? A fabulous bassist/drummer. You see him at all kinds of gigs.

[Michael Weiss]

David Wong and Kenny Washington

[Larry Kart]

I remember a gig in Connecticut (Jamil Nasser on bass) when after about eight bars he turned to me and said in that high pitch, "You don't know that, man?" He was playing the tune "You." After one or two choruses I did.

"You" was the theme song of the Art Linkletter Show. Rollins played it on "Sonny Rollins and the Contemporary Leaders," along with (among other off-the-wall things) "In a Chapel in the Moonlight." I'm pretty sure that Sonny, in is his cosmically comic way, had the Linkletter Show clearly in mind.

[Michael Weiss]

"You" was the theme song of the Art Linkletter Show. Rollins played it on "Sonny Rollins and the Contemporary Leaders,"

Yeah that's my only recorded reference too. Maybe I should do a version.

Edited June 21, 2008 by Michael Weiss

[Larry Kart]

You... Gee, but you're wonderful, you, lovely you.

You completely satisfy,

I'm confessin' that is why there's nobody like you.

You, So much depends upon you, tell me true,

Will it be my fate at all?

Will I ever rate at all with somebody like you?

(Bridge:)

Just to think that you love me

Makes my future look strong;

I swear by stars above me

I'm darned if I don't feel

Like writing a song, a song about

You, Music and words about you, lovely you.

Let me think up phrases for,

Let me sing out praises for nobody but you.

Music Walter Donaldson, lyrics Harold Adamson

Among Donaldson's other songs were:

"At Sundown"

"How Ya Gonna Keep 'Em Down on the Farm?"

"Little White Lies"

"Love Me or Leave Me"

"Makin' Whoopee"

"My Baby Just Cares for Me"

"My Blue Heaven"

"My Buddy"

"Yes Sir, That's My Baby"

"You're Driving Me Crazy"

"You" strikes me as a very 1920s, almost "vo-dee-o-do"-ish song, with its built-in skipping rhythms, e.g.: You (pause) Gee but you're wonderful you" and "You completely satisfy/I'm confessin' that is why.

[Larry Kart]

Actually, I see that "You" is from 1936, the same year as Billy Hill's "In the Chapel in the Moonlight." Probably Rollins, age six, heard them on the radio. Both songs were on the Hit Parade for a number of weeks.

[Michael Weiss]

In the house tonight:

Cecil Taylor

Bob Hurst

Jeff Watts

(now there's a rhythm section...)

Edited June 25, 2008 by Michael Weiss

[Jim Alfredson]

Sweet, Michael! Did you record it?

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

what was the setlist?

[Michael Weiss]

what was the setlist?

I don't remember the order:

Wee

I'm Getting Sentimental Over You

Dewey Square

Everything Happens To Me

Fine and Dandy

Whiskey Drinkin' Woman

Alligator Boogaloo

Star Eyes

Cherokee

I Had a Dream

Bye Bye Blackbird

The Griffin (trio)

Things Ain't What They Used to Be

What Is This Thing Called Love

Sweet, Michael! Did you record it?

Sorry if this sounds blasé, but it never occurred to me. However, the two-hour conversation I had on the phone with Cecil Taylor yesterday - THAT I wish I recorded.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

what was the setlist?

I don't remember the order:

Wee

I'm Getting Sentimental Over You

Dewey Square

Everything Happens To Me

Fine and Dandy

Whiskey Drinkin' Woman

Alligator Boogaloo

Star Eyes

Cherokee

I Had a Dream

Bye Bye Blackbird

The Griffin (trio)

Things Ain't What They Used to Be

What Is This Thing Called Love

Interesting set list. Some of those tunes are definitely not Lou's regular fare.

MG

[Dan Gould]

And even ones that are "usual fare" like Whiskey Drinkin' Woman - I would love to have heard Michael on piano instead of Lonnie Smith on organ. And the same for Alligator Boogaloo. Classics with organ but I'd love to hear them with piano.

Is Lou doing well these days, Michael?

[HolyStitt]

Hello Michael Weiss,

I just noticed the Dakota has the Lou Donaldson Quartet listed for August 11 and 12.

Do you have any idea if this band and you will be playing the gig?

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

If there's any way any of you can get to this show, by all means, GO! Heard the 11:00 set last night, and had a chance to chat with Michael and Poppa Lou afterwards. Lou was in fine form, Michael is a tremendous piano player, and the drummer (Kenny Washington?) was also excellent. The set was absolutely terrific--and fascinating to hear some of Lou's standard fare (Cherokee, the blues where he ends up saying "Weren't no weapons of mass destruction to be found") with piano accompaniment. But the complete highlight was a song I've never heard him play live--Gravy Train! As if it weren't cool enough to hear it, you got to watch Michael learn the song in real time (Lou: "This song put a lot of bread in my pocket. The band doesn't know it, but they're going to learn it right NOW-2-3-4") and it was if he'd been comping on it for years.

Michael, thanks for whatever you did to make this happen--it was great fun.

Thank God I don't live in America! I wouldn't have ANY fucking money!

Thanks for these reports, though.

MG

[Michael Weiss]

Is Lou doing well these days, Michael?

Lou's fine. He has what I think is chronic bronchitis, but it hasn't seemed to hold him back.

Hello Michael Weiss,

I just noticed the Dakota has the Lou Donaldson Quartet listed for August 11 and 12.

Do you have any idea if this band and you will be playing the gig?

It must be with the organ group. But hopefully in the future Lou will begin appearing more often with piano. He's having a great time and can't stop talking about how he can now play all these other songs he hasn't been able to do, like Autumn in NY and Autumn Nocturne.

[Hardbopjazz]

Both sets Saturday were cookin'. Michael was tearing the piano up left to right. I hope to hear more of this group. Someone should get these 4 into a studio, they were that good.

[Soul Stream]

It must be with the organ group. But hopefully in the future Lou will begin appearing more often with piano. He's having a great time and can't stop talking about how he can now play all these other songs he hasn't been able to do, like Autumn in NY and Autumn Nocturne.

That's odd...I was just listening to a recording of Dr. Lonnie Smith playing beautifully on Autumn In NY.... That said, I'm sure Lou's loving playing with Michael!