-
“Lou Donaldson is definitely considered one of the greatest alto sax players on the scene today and he has contributed more to the art of playing alto than about anyone around…”
Stanley News & Press, September 1993Paul Jeffrey, Tenor Saxophonist -
” He’s listened to just about everyone, and not only alto players. With this knowledge of the entire jazz language,
Lou is definitely an individual voice.”Horace Parlan -
“The octogenarian virtuoso has lost little to the passing decades.”
The Chicago Tribune -
“He remains the leading exponent of this soul-jazz approach. Yet even at its bluesiest, his playing remains informed by bebop.”
The New York Times -
“My first impulse is always to describe Lou Donaldson as the greatest alto saxophonist in the world.”
The New York Sun, January 2007
Will Friedwald
NO FUSION — NO CONFUSION
JUST STRAIGHT AHEAD JAZZ, BEBOP & BLUES
LOU’S SIGNATURE TUNE
Lou’s Signature Tune: Blues Walk
BEBOP MASTER PLAYS WEE
BEBOP MASTER PLAYS CHEROKEE
LOU PLAYS ALL TIME HIT ALLIGATOR BOOGALOO
SPECIAL APPEARANCES
[gigpress_shows]
Lou & Charlie Parker 1953 or 1954 at Paradise on 110th Street & 8th Avenue in Harlem (Credit: Photographer Unknown)
(Credit: Photographer Unknown)
HONORS TO LOU
LOU DONALDSON HONOR MURAL by DALL WILSON – Badin Historical Museum – Badin, NC
The Lou Donaldson Honor Mural by Dall Wilson of Badin Historic Museum was installed on the corner window of the United States Post Office Badin, North Carolina on September 8, 2026 by the Gelbachs of Better Badin.
The Lou Donaldson Honor Mural by Dall Wilson of Badin Historic Museum with a view of Downtown Badin, NC.
Sweet Poppa Lou Unveils “Lou Donaldson Boulevard” Sign on NC Highway 740 in Hometown Badin, NC!
“Lou Donaldson Boulevard” Named in Sweet Poppa Lou’s Hometown — Badin, NC!
The Department of Transportation Named NC Highway 740 in Badin, NC
“LOU DONALDSON BOULEVARD”!
For more information about Lou Donaldson Boulevard, contact Town of Badin – https://badin.org/index.html or https://www.facebook.com/BadinNC
