Gravy Train is a fine, if not quite exceptional record from Lou Donaldson's initial soul-jazz phase of the early '60s.
Actually, given the title and the period in which it was recorded, the album isn't quite as greasy and funky overall as one might expect; most of the repertoire is devoted to pop ballads and mid-tempo standards, the latter of which tends to bring out more of the bop elements in Donaldson's playing.
That's not true for the entire album, though; the title cut is a laid-back, conga-tinged, bluesy groover in the classic Donaldson mold, even if it's a bit workmanlike.
Donaldson's longtime pianist, Herman Foster, is allotted quite a bit of solo space here, and he concentrates more on thick, rippling chords than single-note lines.
For his part, Donaldson's playing is pleasant, and the rest of the supporting group maintains a steady groove throughout.
All of Donaldson's sessions from this period (Here 'Tis, The Natural Soul, Good Gracious) have enough worthwhile moments for devoted fans, and that's true of Gravy Train as well, though casual fans probably won't find it necessary enough to track down.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gravy TrainLou Donaldson | Lou Donaldson | Play | 08:14 | 18 MB | 57 MB |
| 2 | South of the BorderMichael Carr, Jimmy Kennedy | Lou Donaldson | Play | 05:31 | 12 MB | 39 MB |
| 3 | Polka Dots and MoonbeamsJohnny Burke, James Van Heusen | Lou Donaldson | Play | 04:59 | 11 MB | 30 MB |
| 4 | AvalonBuddy DeSylva, Al Jolson, Vincent Rose | Lou Donaldson | Play | 04:15 | 9 MB | 28 MB |
| 5 | CandyMack David, Alex Kramer, Joan Whitney | Lou Donaldson | Play | 09:18 | 21 MB | 64 MB |
| 6 | Twist TimeLou Donaldson | Lou Donaldson | Play | 06:47 | 15 MB | 45 MB |
| 7 | Gravy TrainLou Donaldson | Lou Donaldson | Play | 08:14 | 18 MB | 57 MB |
| 8 | Glory Of Love | Lou Donaldson | Play | 04:04 | 9 MB | 26 MB |
| 9 | Gravy Train (alternate take) | Lou Donaldson | Play | 07:30 | 17 MB | 51 MB |
| 10 | Glory Of Love (alternate take) | Lou Donaldson | Play | 03:49 | 8 MB | 26 MB |
| 62 mins | 143 MB | |||||
| 62 mins | 429 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dave Bailey | Drums |
| 2 | Ronnie Brathwaite | Cover Photo |
| 3 | Johnny Burke | Composer |
| 4 | Michael Carr | Composer |
| 5 | Michael Cuscuna | Reissue Producer |
| 6 | Mack David | Composer |
| 7 | Buddy DeSylva | Composer |
| 8 | Lou Donaldson | Composer, Primary Artist, Sax (Alto) |
| 9 | Alec Dorsey | Congas |
| 10 | Herman Foster | Piano |
| 11 | Joe Goldberg | Liner Notes |
| 12 | James Van Heusen | Composer |
| 13 | Billy Hill | Composer |
| 14 | Al Jolson | Composer |
| 15 | Jimmy Kennedy | Composer |
| 16 | Alex Kramer | Composer |
| 17 | Alfred Lion | Producer |
| 18 | Red Miles | Cover Design |
| 19 | Patrick Roques | Redesign |
| 20 | Vincent Rose | Composer |
| 21 | Ben Tucker | Bass |
| 22 | Rudy Van Gelder | Engineer |
| 23 | Joan Whitney | Composer |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |