BOOKLET
Artist: Lou Donaldson/The 3 Sounds
Album: LD+3
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Hard Bop, Soul Jazz
Item Number: AWMXR-0005
Brand/Label/Format: XRCD 24 Audio Wave/Blue Note
Recorded: 1959
Release Date: 2010
Tracklisting
1. Three Little Words
2. Smooth Groove
3. Just Friends
4. Blue Moon
5. Jump Up
6. Don’t Take Your Love From Me
7. Confirmation
Musicians:
Lou Donaldson (alto saxophone)
Gene Harris (piano)
Bill Dowdy (bass)
Art Taylor (drums)
Features:
Mastered and produced by Alan Yoshida and Joe Harley from the Original Rudy Van Gelder Blue Note 2-Track Analog Tapes!
Highest Quality Analog-to-Digital transfers from tape to CD
Deluxe Packaging with Hi-Resolution Black & White Session Photos.
Includes Original Album Liner Notes
XRCD24 is Compatible with ALL CD PLAYERS!
Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine (Allmusic)
Lou Donaldson and the Three Sounds both had a tendency to slip into low-key grooves, which is what makes the hard-driving bop of the opener “Three Little Words” a little startling. Donaldson is at a fiery peak, spinning out Bird-influenced licks that nevertheless illustrate that he’s developed a more rounded, individual style of his own. The Three Sounds are equally as impressive, working bop rhythms with a dexterity that their first albums only hinted at. That high standard is maintained throughout the album, one of the finest in either of their catalogs. Albums like this and Blues Walk established Donaldson’s reputation as a first-rate alto saxophonist, since he flaunts a full, robust tone, a fondness for melody, and nimble solos over the course of the record. LD + 3 is pretty much straight bop and hard bop, with little of the soul-jazz the two artists would later explore, but this collection of swinging standards, bop staples, and a pair of Donaldson originals ranks as one of Lou’s finest straight bop sessions.
Detailed Description
The Three Sounds were a very popular group in the late 1950s/early 60s and for good reason. Pianist Gene Harris, bassist Andy Simpkins and drummer Bill Dowdy always knew how to lay down an irresistible groove. They infused every song they played with a heavy dose of the blues and could outswing any combo while never being stingy with the soul. The same could be said for altoist Lou Donaldson. Influenced by Charlie Parker but a bluesier player, Donaldson in the 1950s held his own on sessions with Clifford Brown, Thelonious Monk and Jimmy Smith while gaining a strong following with his series of Blue Note recordings. LD + 3 is a very special recording from 1959 featuring Donaldson and the Three Sounds really inspiring and pushing each other. Starting with a passionate version of Three Little Words, they dig into such bop classics as Just Friends and Confirmation, playing with plenty of heat. The mixture of bebop fury with soul makes this a true Blue Note milestone.