Lou Donaldson

Lou Donaldson (born 1926) is a jazz alto saxophonist. He was born in Badin, North Carolina. He is best known for his soulful, bluesy approach to the alto saxophone, although in his formative years he was, as many were of the bebop era, heavily influenced by Charlie Parker's improvisational approach.

His first recordings were with bop emissaries Milt Jackson and Thelonious Monk in 1952, and lead several small groups with other jazz luminaries such as trumpeter Blue Mitchell, pianist Horace Silver and the indomitable skinsman, Art Blakey.

In 1953, he also recorded sessions with the trumpet virtuoso Clifford Brown, and Philly Joe Jones, both who would go onto record some of the most renowned records of the jazz idiom. In 1954, Donaldson briefly joined the emerging hard bop ensemble, the Jazz Messengers, and appeared on one of their most popular albums, A Night At Birdland.

Although he has recorded as a sideman, he has never belonged to any band other than those of which he was leader; he has been a bandleader since the mid-1950s. He has recorded in the bop, hard bop, and soul jazz genres. For many years his pianist was Herman Foster.