Music: Lou Donaldson, Alligator Bogaloo

Hi!

I realized that I wrote way too much about technical stuff so far and not enough about music, so here is another one of my favorites: Lou Donaldson's Alligator Bogaloo:

This album was recorded 1967 under the Blue Note label. This record is full of groove, soul, drive and a bit of bluesiness. My favorite track is 'One cylinder'. This track stands out in the unique way it lays down the rythm. I mentioned in my last article about music, that I'm going to write about more pieces which experiment with the beat. Lonnie Smith who plays the organ provides the beat by playing just a single key throughout the entire piece. With just a little support from the drums. The beat he lays down is so throbbing and full of drive, it is hard to keep the feet still while listening to this. He puts so much passion and variety in it and still plays just one note. Hence the name One Cylinder.

In terms of recording quality this is the typical early Blue Note sound which was created by the famous Rudy van Gelder. A bit on the dark side, beautiful mids with all the varity in colors of tones. The treble a bit recessed but not too much. What Gelder especially captures nicely is the dirty Hammond sound and the electric guitar. The guitar notes played by George Benson have such a beautiful tone and twang. They creep right into your ears and give you a sweet tickle.

A timeless master piece in terms of music and recording quality!

Best regards

Thomas