Lou Donaldson - Down Home (Vinyl LP | US Reissue | 1969)

Lou Donaldson – Down Home is a compilation of early recordings by alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson, released in 1969 on Sunset Records (SUS-5258), a Liberty budget label. The ten tracks come from three Blue Note sessions on June 20, 1952 and November 19, 1952 (both WOR Studios, New York) and August 22, 1954 (Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack), and match the content and running order of the 1957 Blue Note album Quartet/Quintet/Sextet (BLP 1537). Sidemen include Horace Silver, Blue Mitchell, Kenny Dorham, Elmo Hope and Art Blakey. This copy is a 1969 US pressing from the H.V. Waddell plant, electronically re-recorded to simulate stereo according to the sleeve.

Pressing details

• Label / Cat. no.: Sunset Records SUS-5258
• Format: Vinyl LP, Compilation, Stereo (electronically simulated)
• Pressing: US reissue, H.V. Waddell pressing plant
• Country: USA
• Year: 1969 (recorded 1952–1954)
• Genre: Jazz, Bop

Condition

• Condition: Second hand
• Media: VG+
• Cover: VG+

Graded to Goldmine standard (see Vinyl Grading). The images are our own scans of the actual copy for sale (SKU S R13).

Tracklist

Side A

1. If I Love Again (Oakland/Murray)
2. Down Home (Lou Donaldson)
3. The Best Things In Life Are Free (DeSylva/Brown/Henderson)
4. Lou's Blues (Lou Donaldson)
5. Cheek To Cheek (Irving Berlin)
6. Sweet Juice (Horace Silver)

Side B

1. The Stroller (Lou Donaldson)
2. Roccus (Horace Silver)
3. Caracas (Lou Donaldson)
4. Moe's Bluff (Elmo Hope)

Personnel

June 20, 1952 (Lou's Blues, Cheek To Cheek, Roccus): Lou Donaldson (alto saxophone), Horace Silver (piano), Gene Ramey (bass), Art Taylor (drums).

November 19, 1952 (If I Love Again, Down Home, The Best Things In Life Are Free, Sweet Juice): Lou Donaldson (alto saxophone), Blue Mitchell (trumpet, not on Sweet Juice), Horace Silver (piano), Percy Heath (bass), Art Blakey (drums).

August 22, 1954 (The Stroller, Caracas, Moe's Bluff): Lou Donaldson (alto saxophone), Kenny Dorham (trumpet), Matthew Gee (trombone), Elmo Hope (piano), Percy Heath (bass), Art Blakey (drums).

Producer of the original sessions: Alfred Lion. Liner notes for the Sunset edition: John Paul Shoptaw.

FAQ

Is this the original pressing?
No. The recordings first appeared on Blue Note and were collected in 1957 on Quartet/Quintet/Sextet. Down Home is the 1969 Sunset reissue, here in the variant pressed at the H.V. Waddell plant.

Is this true stereo?
No. The 1952 and 1954 recordings are mono. The sleeve states that they were electronically re-recorded to simulate stereo.

What does Media VG+ / Cover VG+ mean?
VG+ (Very Good Plus) means record and sleeve show light signs of use and the record plays cleanly. All grades are explained on our Vinyl Grading page.

Do you have more Lou Donaldson records?
This is currently our only record by him. More bop and hard bop titles are in our Jazz collection.