Transcription Takeaways: Lou Donaldson on Lou's Blues
I’m always searching for new transcription projects for my studio, particularly tunes suitable for students at the earlier stages of learning through this process. This fall I’ve been doing a big push on the Blues with a few students, and discovered a new-to-me recording by studio transcription heavyweight, Lou Donaldson, that got me excited by its approachability and potential for conveying a number of Blues language concepts in a transparent and economical package. Plus, I could just listen to Lou Donaldson all day!
Lou’s Blues was originally recorded in 1952 and featured the 25 year-old saxophonist with pianist Horace Silver, bassist Gene Ramey, and drummer Art Taylor. This particular recording would later be released on a Blue Note compilation album simply titled Lou Donaldson: Quartet/Quintet/Sextet. Donaldson would record other versions of this concert Bb blues tune throughout his career, and I hope to follow up with comparative transcriptions down the line. But, for now, let’s dig into what we can take away from his approach on this early rendition. I will use the alto sax transposition for this discussion, basing the tune in G-Major and using the actual performed notes rather than converting back into concert pitch.
In addition to seeing the transcription embedded here, you can view and download it at my materials page under the transcriptions section. I recommend opening the notation in a new tab or printing it out to reference with the analysis below.
**If you wish to skip the more in-depth discussion and find the summarized takeaways, scroll down to after the line break below
The core melody of Lou’s Blues establishes a Major Blues sound with an ascending pattern of [b3, 3, 5, 6, 1]. Immediately, the head shifts the first two pitches down on the second measure to accommodate the IV chord, showcasing how language can be moved within this same scale to offer specificity between the core motion of the Blues – the I to IV. Further, when the head moves to the fifth measure, the initial melody simply shifts up a fourth, utilizing the same Major Blues sound of C7 [Eb, E, G, A ,C]. Donaldson writes a variation of this that ends on a Bb moving to the V chord (D7) on the melody, effectively also showcasing how the language of these scales can override any single-note dissonance. The melody ends by fluttering through turns on the b3 and b7 of the home key and provides students with an excellent opportunity to establish this technique within their improvisatory language. Donaldson’s solo begins by extending these turns; and, other recordings of this tune seem to establish this idea as a compositional element used as a de facto interlude preceding the solos.
One of the overarching elements that drew me to this solo was Donaldson’s transparency of phrasing. I often use the words clarity and intent with my students in discussing improvisation, and this solo is a particularly fine example of clear, melodic playing. Shifting away from the turns, his first line moving into the IV chord of Chorus 1 is also the longest phrase of his entire solo at 4 ½ measures. Donaldson showcases the movement to IV by simply playing a C Major triad, hitting the root with playful quarter notes on beats 2-4. Likewise, his movement back to the I in measure 19 outlines a G Major triad with upper neighbor ornamentation. The inclusion of the G# in the form’s eighth measure provides a simple and effective example of 3-b9 bebop language over a dominant chord while the chorus wraps up with a (mostly) Major Blues lick.
Chorus 2 begins with a quote of Rhapsody in Blue that certainly seems like a pre-meditated inclusion for this recording but offers another opportunity to discuss passing tones [1, 7, b7] and how managing the relationship between the 3 and b3 while playing over the I chord is part of the artistic craft of the Blues. Notably, Donaldson essentially just sits on the root of the IV chord again in measure 29 before moving back into the I chord via an enclosure to the third in measure 31. This line features an Eb in measure 30 and is one of several instances of this pitch appearing at different points in Donaldson’s solo.
When beginning to improvise over the Blues with students, I most often opt to blanket the form with a scale of [1, 2, b3, 5, 6]. After establishing stylistic phrasing within this restricted note selection, I introduce the b6 of the home key, here represented by this Eb to provide stepwise, passing tone language and introduce the idea of harmonic momentum and tendency. As such, I appreciate being able to highlight Donaldson’s use of this same b6 against different parts of the form here.
The second chorus wraps up with two phrases of almost identical length beginning with a chromatic walkdown into the A Minor chord of measure 33 followed by a diatonic descending phrase that can spur a discussion of scalar/stepwise playing within the home “key” of G Mixolydian.
Moving beyond melodic and harmonic conventions, Donaldson rips up to his palm D to begin the third chorus, creating a solo arc that invokes dramatic progression moving into the final chorus. He follows this by again playing diatonically in G7 before re-engaging the same turns off the b3 that closed the melody, here letting the b3 of the I chord carry over to become the b7 of the IV. Donaldson establishes the return to the I chord in measure 43 by simply moving back to the major 3rd of the I chord. The closing phrases again see three instances of the b6 (Eb) used with different techniques as passing and neighbor tones, with the final instance another clear use of the 3-b9 language over the D7 chord. Measure 45 also features a simple A-minor triad to match the ii-7 chord of the moment, followed by another descending line off Bb that seems to be a favorite of Donaldson at this time in his playing career. The closing phrase further establishes the use of diatonic playing in G7 that can be a simple but overlooked opportunity for developing jazz saxophonists just exploring Blues language.
Transcription Takeaways:
1. Mix of Major Blues, Diatonic Language, and b3 Utilization: This three chorus solo offers a chance to look at various harmonic opportunities that can be utilized over the Blues. Donaldson’s melody establishes Major Blues combinations, and further moves this pitch set to meet the IV chord. He also constructs phrases wholly within G Mixolydian over different parts of the form, while sprinkling in the home key’s b3rd (Bb) away from the C7 IV chord.
2. Idiomatic Expressions Through Turns: The prevalence and insistence on this device highlights its usage in this style. The variation of placement within the form and two different starting notes make these turns an excellent opportunity to engage with specific language and internalize it to use it generally over the Blues and related forms
3. Clear Chord Tone Resolutions: Setting aside some b3 (Bb) usage over the V chord, almost every movement to a new chord is met with a chord tone on the downbeat of the change. Donaldson clearly outlines the harmonic changes while invoking more generalized blues language in the intervening space.
4. Passing Tones and Enclosures: Offsetting the diatonic phrases, Donaldson showcases effective chromatic passing and approach tones that developing improvisers can overlook when playing the Blues. The natural 7 and flat 9 of the home key appear often, as well as the established major blues language of b3-3.
I hope you’ve enjoyed delving into this early Lou Donaldson blues solo - I certainly had fun learning it and sharing and playing it with my students. I hope to be back soon with Part II featuring a comparison with his later version. Until then, be well and Happy Practicing!