LOU DONALDSON 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: The Tone Poet series, from esteemed jazz emigres Blue Note Records, is produced by our favourite Tone Poet Joe Harley and features definitive all-analogue 180g audiophile vinyl reissues mastered from the original master tapes by Kevin Gray of Cohearent Audio. The firstmost, early bird in the Tone Poet series is none other than Lou Donaldson's Midnight Creeper; the third in a series of stellar soul jazz outings by the saxophonist, made for Blue Note in the late-1960s, with key players including Hammond B3 virtuoso Lonnie Smith, young guitar star George Benson, funky drummer Idris Muhammad and the bluesy trumpeter Blue Mitchell.

Review: Blue Note Records continue to top up their Classic Vinyl reissues series, this time homing in on Lou Donaldson's sixth album for the label 'Blues Walk' (he never swayed from Blue Note). The legendary jazz saxophonist and bandleader intended the LP to be his magnum opus at the time, and as history slowly ingested its influence, it became as such. Six rain-drizzled original pieces span two sides, with Donaldson joined by Herman Foster, Peck Morrison, Dave Bailey and Ray Barretto for an unusual jazz combo involving congas, and a unique mood that epitomised his own brand of cool jazz-blues.