Music Monday: Lou Donaldson and Roy Hanyes

With the passing of Lou Donaldson and Roy Haynes, the strands to connects the living present of American music to the immediate post war decades become all the more fragile.

I had long had a soft spot for Donaldson especially his work with Dr. Lonnie Smith at the very birth of soul jazz. 

In particularly, Donaldson’s two late 1960s recordings, Midnight Creeper (1968) and Everything I Play is Funky (1970) are favorites.     

But I’d be remiss if I didn’t share a couple of his earlier recordings. Two of my favorites are LD+3 with The Three Sounds from 1959:

And Lou Donaldson Here ’Tis (1961):

These two albums chart his move from Parker-inspired bop scorcher to the master of soul jazz. 

A year later Roy Haynes recorded Out of An Afternoon (1962) with non other than Roland Kirk (as well as the enigmatic Henry Grimes on bass). It’s long been a favorite:

I discovered while floating around the internet Roy Haynes Hip Ensemble (1971) which brings us back to 1970s soul jazz-ish hard bop:

Here’s one more. Roy Haynes Senyah from 1973 featuring Marvin Peterson on trumpet.  

The passing of Roy Haynes and Lou Donaldson has gone largely unnoticed in the turbulent post-election news cycle, but I’d gently submit that their musical influence over the last 60 years has touched as many lives as the latest tempest in a teapot blurted forth from overheated talking heads. Taking some time to listen to their music felt like a fitting tribute to two masters of their form.