By Frank De Blase on Jun. 17th, 2008 at 5:25amSooner or later in any Lou Donaldson show, the great alto man will arrive at the same line, and on Wednesday evening it came early:
“Tonight, you’re going to hear some real jazz–no Kenny G, no Najee, no any-G,” Donaldson told the crowd at the Jazz Showcase, savoring the ovations he always receives when preaching to the converted.
But even if Donaldson hadn’t invoked his famous motto to ridicule the pretenders, there would have been no doubt the music he played was about as authentic an expression of bebop-era jazz as can be heard at this late date. That Donaldson enriched this language with a plangent blues tone and a soulful, emotionally wide-open delivery helped explain why he has been held in high esteem by jazz listeners of all kinds for decades.
To understand the septuagenarian saxophonist’s multifaceted appeal, consider his version of Charlie Parker‘s “Now’s the Time,” a bebop anthem if ever there were one. Though Donaldson was around when the tune was new and first inspiring uncounted recorded versions, Donaldson’s approach sounded like nobody else’s.
For starters, he played the main theme slower and with more swagger than one is accustomed to hearing, slightly exaggerating rhythmic values for dramatic effect. His sound, meanwhile, was about as blue as an alto can get, his tone so searing it probably could cut through concrete.
And when Donaldson hinted at Parker-style improvisations, his speedy passages, unexpected silences and unconventional phrase lengths transformed “Now’s the Time” once more. By constantly changing rhythmic patterns, altering melody notes and reworking chords, Donaldson rejuvenated an overplayed classic.
There’s much more to Donaldson, however, than just his bebop credentials. In the ballad “Laura,” for instance, he produced piercing high notes, sighing phrases and–at his best–a lyricism rivaling the work of a formidable jazz vocalist.
Backed by an organ trio, Donaldson made the most of the fat chords coming from Kyle Koehler’s Hammond B-3, the propulsive swing rhythm from Fukushi Tainaka’s drums and the sleek, Wes Montgomery-inspired lines from Randy Johnston’s guitar. Together, these rhythm players created an ideal musical setting for Donaldson, who earlier in his career made soul-tinged organ accompaniments integral to his work.
On this occasion, the result was a music that was as viscerally powerful as it was intellectually substantial, and that’s a combination that doesn’t come along often enough.
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Lou Donaldson plays through Sunday at the Jazz Showcase, 59 W. Grand Ave.; $20; 312-670-2473.