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Lou Donaldson, jazz's 'Alligator Bogaloo' sax man, dies aged 98

His death on Saturday was announced in a statement by family members

Published: Tue 12 Nov 2024, 11:49 AM

Updated: Tue 12 Nov 2024, 11:57 AM

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  • Reuters

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US saxophonist Lou Donaldson, one of jazz music's last remaining links to the era of bebop in the 1950s who went on to develop a soul and Latin-inspired sound in the following decades, has died at 98.

His death on Saturday was announced in a statement by family members who said "his legendary contributions to jazz will live on forever" due to the support of his fans.

Donaldson's best-known songs included Blues Walk (1958) and Alligator Bogaloo (1967) and he recorded with greats such as pianist Thelonious Monk, drummer Art Blakey and organist Jimmy Smith.

He was a band leader over seven decades and earned himself the nickname "Sweet Poppa Lou" for his upbeat, funky sound on the alto sax.

Songs such as his version of Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky (From Now On) remain dance-floor staples in jazz clubs around the world.

Born on November 1, 1926, Donaldson learned the clarinet as a child growing up in Badin, a town in North Carolina. He played the instrument and the saxophone in a US Navy band in the 1940s before moving to New York in 1950 and hearing Charlie Parker in the clubs.

After working on a Parker-style album with vibes player Milt Jackson he went on to make records of his own for the Blue Note label that offered early breaks to musicians who became big names in jazz, including Donald Byrd and Horace Silver.

Tours to Europe followed and Donaldson criss-crossed the US with his bands. He performed in New York until he was well into his 80s, retiring in 2018.

He was married to his wife, Maker, for 56 years until her death in 2006. The couple had two daughters.

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