AILSA CHANG, HOST:
Yesterday, we remembered the last great drummer who was there for the birth of modern jazz, Roy Haynes. And last week, we saluted the superproducer who got his start in jazz bands, Quincy Jones. But, you know, we have not forgotten about Lou Donaldson.
(SOUNDBITE OF LOU DONALDSON'S "BLUES WALK")
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
The alto saxophonist died last weekend after a very long career. He moved to New York in 1949, and his bluesy and gospel influence sound was a big part of how bebop gave rise to hard bop and soul jazz. A few years ago, he spoke with the public radio show, Jazz Night In America.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)
LOU DONALDSON: If you don't play the blues, you lose. If you don't play the jazz and swing, you're not playing jazz.
CHANG: The man known as Sweet Papa Lou also had words for other styles. Among his favorite targets was the hybrid of jazz and rock music, as he riffed on stage in 2014.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
DONALDSON: No fusion, no confusion.
(LAUGHTER)
SHAPIRO: His assessment was similar for smooth jazz and rap music.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
DONALDSON: No 50 Cent, who's not worth a quarter.
(LAUGHTER)
SHAPIRO: Which did not stop hip-hop producers from mining funky records that Lou Donaldson made...
(SOUNDBITE OF LOU DONALDSON'S "ODE TO BILLIE JOE")
SHAPIRO: ...And sampling those records to create new beats and sometimes hit songs.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "JESUS WALKS")
KANYE WEST: (Vocalizing) You know what the Midwest is? Young and restless, where restless - might snatch your necklace. And next, these...
SHAPIRO: All this benefited Lou Donaldson's legacy and his bank account.
CHANG: But Donaldson was always unapologetic about seeking an audience. He didn't care for descriptors like soul jazz. He said he just aimed to play what crowds would respond to.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)
DONALDSON: I always had my music geared to the people. 'Cause when I played, I listened to what they were giving me the applause for.
CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE: Right.
DONALDSON: Whenever they'd applause, that's what I kept playing.
(SOUNDBITE OF LOU DONALDSON'S "ALLIGATOR BOGALOO")
CHANG: The great saxophonist Lou Donaldson died on Saturday at the age of 98.
(SOUNDBITE OF LOU DONALDSON'S "ALLIGATOR BOGALOO") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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