Artist: Lou Donaldson
Title: Lush Life
Genre: Jazz, Soul Jazz, Post Bop, Saxophone Jazz
Label: Blue Note Records
Release Date: 1980/2014
Quality: High-Fidelity FLAC Stereo 192kHz/24bit
Source: HDTracks
Duration: 35:14
Recorded: Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, January 20, 1967
Lou Donaldson’s 1967 recording Lush Life has been called the grandest project he ever attempted. With its plush arrangements and unabashedly pretty melodies, Lush Life stands in stark contrast to everything else he cut in the 1960s. There are no blues, no stabs at soul-jazz grooves, no hard bop, only sweet, sensitive renditions of romantic standards. Donaldson shone on ballads before, but it’s nevertheless surprising how successful he is on this set of slow love songs. His tone is full and elegant; it’s easy to get lost in his rich readings of these familiar melodies, as well as his slyly seductive improvisations. Of course, it helps that his instrumental backdrops are as lovely as those his nine-piece backing band provide. Duke Pearson’s arrangements are clean, sparkling, and attractive, and the superstar band, which includes Wayne Shorter on tenor sax, Pepper Adams on baritone sax and Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, knows enough to provide sympathetic support and not steal the show. When they do take solos, it enhances Donaldson’s original statements, and helps make Lush Life the enchanting record it is. This album has been reissued in some countries under the title Sweet Slumber.
After brief sojourns at Argo and Cadet, Lou Donaldson marked his 1967 return by recording Lush Life, the grandest project he ever attempted. With its plush arrangements and unabashedly pretty melodies, Lush Life stands in stark contrast to everything else he cut in the ’60s. There are no blues, no stabs at soul-jazz grooves, no hard bop — only sweet, sensitive renditions of romantic standards. Donaldson shone on ballads before, but it’s nevertheless surprising how successful he is on this set of slow love songs. His tone is full and elegant — it’s easy to get lost in his rich readings of these familiar melodies, as well as his slyly seductive improvisations. Of course, it helps that his instrumental backdrops are as lovely as those his nine-piece backing band provide. Nonets are unwieldy, to be certain, but Duke Pearson’s arrangements are clean, sparkling, and attractive, and the superstar band — Wayne Shorter (tenor sax), Jerry Dodgion (alto sax, flute), Pepper Adams (bari sax), Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), Garnett Brown (trombone), McCoy Tyner (piano), Ron Carter (bass), Al Harewood (drums) — knows enough to provide sympathetic support and not steal the show. When they do take solos, it enhances Donaldson’s original statements, and helps make Lush Life the singularly enchanting record it is. –Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracklist:
1 Sweet Slumber 5:50
2 You’ve Changed 4:20
3 The Good Life 5:00
4 Stardust 3:35
6 What Will I Tell My Heart 4:25
7 It Might As Well Be Spring 5:50
8 Sweet And Lovely 5:55
Personnel:
Lou Donaldson – alto saxophone
Freddie Hubbard – trumpet
Garnett Brown – trombone
Jerry Dodgion – alto saxophone, flute
Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone
Pepper Adams – baritone saxophone
McCoy Tyner – piano
Ron Carter – bass
Al Harewood – drums
Duke Pearson – arranger
Download Links :
http://www.nitroflare.com/view/71386EFFCAB1D47/hdsound.biz_LouDonaldsonLushLife196719224.part1.rar
http://www.nitroflare.com/view/5840F30502E2646/hdsound.biz_LouDonaldsonLushLife196719224.part2.rar