Blues Walk

Blues Walk (1958) Lou Donaldson. Blues walk is a classic 50's hard bob/bebop recording. What sets the album apart from other albums of the same era is the subtle conga playing of Ray Barretto. While it may seem commonplace today to throw an extra percussionist in to spice things up, this was one of the first straight ahead bebop recordings that incorporated a conga player into an album that was not a latin jazz album. Further the playing of Barretto was not overwhelming, which was the key to the success of the album. The overall effect was fantastic. There is great interplay between the band, Barretto and Donaldson.