Lou Donaldson - Mr. Shing-A-Ling (Remastered) (2019) [Hi-Res]

Mr. Shing-A-Ling, has long been considered the best of Lou Donaldson’s funk/soul albums from the late-60s, & includes a who’s who of great soul jazz players including Blue Mitchell, Jimmy “Fats” Ponder & Leo Smith. Donaldson’s funky version of “Ode to Billie Joe” is the most sampled track in Blue Note history, with artists including A Tribe Called Quest, Kanye West, Drake, Lauryn Hill, Mary J Blige, J Dilla, De La Soul, Eminem, and many more using the track for inspiration. Blue Note Records’ Tone Poet Audiophile HiRes-Reissue Series is produced by Joe Harley and features all-analog, mastered-from-the-original-master-tape. Mastering is by Kevin Gray (Cohearent Audio).

"Lou Donaldson does attempt to loosen up a bit with Mr. Shing-A-Ling, but the whole affair is a bit stilted and misconceived. Not quite the full-fledged electric funk workout that was becoming commonplace for old-guard soul-jazz musicians in the late '60s, but not quite the bop-inflected soul-jazz of the early '60s. either, Mr. Shing-A-Ling falls into a netherworld that won't connect either with jazz purists or fans of grooving jazz-funk. When the group does try to get funky on the record, the results just sound lazy -- there's no spark to the rhythms, or to Donaldson's melody lines, especially on the embarrassing cover of the pop hit "Ode to Billie Joe." When the quintet settles into a midtempo vamp, Donaldson, trumpeter Blue Mitchell, and organist Lonnie Smith do spin out some good solos, but the lack of energy and enthusiasm the group has for the material makes Mr. Shing-A-Ling a bit of a tiring listen." (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG)

Lou Donaldson, alto saxophone
Blue Mitchell, trumpet (on tracks 2-5)
Jimmy "Fats" Ponder, guitar
Lonnie Smith, organ
Leo Morris, drums

Recorded October 27, 1967 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs
Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder
Produced by Francis Wolff

Digitally remastered