Lou Donaldson is joined by Blue Mitchell, Horace Parlan, Laymon Jackson, Dave Bailey and Ray Barretto for this 1959 session. "A soul survivor in every sense of the term, this alto saxophonist is one of the few remaining jazz artists who made a major impact on the jazz community via an extensive run with producer Alfred Lion and the Blue Note label (Horace Silver being another Blue Note legend that comes to mind). From his first recordings for the label with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, it was clear that Lou Donaldson put melody and sound at a premium, coming up with an amalgam that combined the creamy smoothness of Johnny Hodges with the quicksilver bop inflections of Charlie Parker." – All About Jazz Muzycy: Blue Mitchell, trumpet Lou Donaldson, alto sax Horace Parlan, piano Laymon Jackson, bass Dave Bailey, drums Ray Barretto, conga