Lou Donaldson (November 1, 1926) is a
jazz alto saxophonist, born in Badin, North Carolina. He is best known for his soulful, bluesy approach to the alto
saxophone, although in his formative years he was, as many were of the
bebop era, heavily influenced by
Charlie Parker. Donaldson attended North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro in the early 1940s. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy during World War II and was trained at the Great Lakes bases in Chicago, where he was introduced to bop music in the lively club scene there. At the war's conclusion, he…
read more