Lou Donaldson
Midnight Creeper (Blue Note 24549)

I can't wait 'til I review a Lou Donaldson album and give it more than Five Cute L'il Puppies. Much like Kiss, who seem to receive Four Cute L'il Puppies for any given reviewed CD, and Taco Bell, which tends to receive a stock rating of Two no matter what the location, Lou Donaldson is just consistent.

It's easy to see why the more snobby jazz critics dismiss his late-'60s albums as crap, since these discs are just simply not trying to do anything but have a good ol' time. Midnight Creeper is no exception. I'd really like to give this one a six puppy rating just on the cover alone (foxy Negress in black unitard, with black cat on hip), but I ain't about to claim that this CD is some kind of masterwork.

But you know what? I listen to this twenty times more than I do Giant Steps, which is a "better" album. So who gets the last laugh? I'd say it's the Lou Crew.

The band is full of groove legends: George Benson on guitar, Lonnie Smith on organ, Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Idris Muhammad on drums, and of course, Lou D. on alto sax. All the songs are gritty and a l'il bit loose, some with a heavy groove, some with a mellow sway. The title track is a classic Lou soul-jazz groover, "Love Power" is a bit of go-go shuffle with Lonnie Smith driving the bus. "Elizabeth" also spotlights Smith's Hammond, though on this one it sounds a bit more like Korla Pandit than is 100% comfortable.

But the party continues, on through "Bag of Jewels," which sounds like "Midnight Creeper" turned inside out like a sock sweaty from doin' the Vulture. "Dapper Dan" is a struttin'-down-the-boulevard-in-a-brand-new-shiny-hat kind of song, unfortunately not really doing all that much, but feelin' plenty good on the way down, much like mashed potatoes in general. Lou Donaldson albums are literally the musical equivalent of soul food. Pass yo plate down and get a second helping, slim.

While I've got the floor, let me take this opportunity to publicly chastise the overzealous Border's employee who was ringing me up while purchasing Lonnie Smith's Think! on CD a few years ago. He thought he was being all cool and "in the know" by saying "Oh, man, great album. This was before he added Liston to his name." I didn't say anything at the time, but always regretted not putting that pretentious jackass in his place right on the spot.

For those keeping score, Lonnie Smith and Lonnie Liston Smith, both Hammond heroes, are in fact two different people. Does that have anything to do with Midnight Creeper? Hell naw, but my scars must heal!

Loud Bassoon rating scale

Review by Chubbo Fenderson