The Natural Soul finds
Lou Donaldson delving deeply into soul-jazz, recording a set of funky, greasy instrumentals with only a few references to hard bop.
Donaldson occasionally sounds a little awkward with the relaxed groove of
The Natural Soul, as does trumpeter
Tommy Turrentine, but the trio of guitarist
Grant Green, organist
John Patton, and drummer
Ben Dixon keep things cooking.
Green and
Patton's solos often burn and are always invigorating, and
Lou frequently matches their heights. The original compositions -- which form the bulk of the album -- aren't much more than blues and soul vamps, but they provide an excellent foundation for the combo to work hot grooves. And, in the end, that's what
The Natural Soul is about -- groove. It maintains the high standards
Donaldson established with his first soul-jazz foray,
Here 'Tis, and remains one of his best records in that genre. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine