Lou Donaldson - the real deal

Lou near the Brooklyn Bridge during the shooting of this film.

Without question, alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson is the man who was most responsible for bringing Grant Green to the attention of  Blue Note Records. I appreciated Lou's down to earth ways during interviews for the film and book on Grant's life, which were done separately over a period of several years. I never for a moment thought he'd ever say anything he didn't mean. If anything, he'd say nothing at all. He's a classy guy (and a U.S. Navy veteran who studied at A & T State University in his native North Carolina, something I did not know for years).

One of my most vivid memories was visiting his home and hearing his wife say that he loved to give away their records. Sounds familiar as in my present household we tend to give away ours, too. May be a sign of how much we love sharing this incredible music.