Lou Donaldson – Mr. Shing-A-Ling (1967)

Lou Donaldson (November 1, 1926 – November 9, 2024) was an American jazz alto saxophonist. He was best known for his soulful, bluesy approach to playing the alto saxophone, although in his formative years he was heavily influenced by Charlie Parker, as were many during the bebop era

"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.

Tracklist:

A1: Ode To Billie Joe
A2: The Humpback
A3: The Shadow Of Your Smile
B1: Peepin’
B2: The Kid

Lou Donaldson – Mr. Shing-A-Ling (1967)

(320 kbps, cover art included)