"A Night at Birdland Vol. 1" is a 1954 release by jazz artist Art Blakey, and a quintet which featured Clifford Brown, Lou Donaldson, Horace Silver and Curly Russell. It was first released by Blue Note Records as a 10" LP (BLP 5037). This is definitive hard bop from Art Blakey's quintet.

"A Night at Birdland Vol. 2" is a 1954 release by jazz drummer Art Blakey, and a quintet which featured Clifford Brown, Lou Donaldson, Horace Silver and Curly Russell. It was first released by Blue Note Records as a 10" LP (BLP 5038). This is definitive hard bop from Art Blakey's quintet.

"Lush Life" was originally recorded in 1967 but was not released until 1980 in Japan under the title "Sweet Slumber", due to the success of Donaldson's album "Alligator Bogaloo" (also recorded in 1967). Featuring musicians such as Freddie Hubbard, Garnett Brown, Jerry Dodgion, Wayne Shorter, Pepper Adams, McCoy Tyner, Ron Carter and Al Harewood, the album was very well-received when it finally was released.

"Alligator Bogaloo" is Lou Donaldson’s 1967 Blue Note classic. Melvin Lastie, Sr., Lonnie Smith, George Benson and Leo Morris join Donaldson for this undeniable gem. The album is an exhilarating blend of hard bop with soulful jazz. It reached #3 on Billboard’s Top Jazz Albums and includes the massive hits “Alligator Bogaloo” and “Aw Shucks”.

This 1958 release marks a period in Lou Donaldson's development prior to a stylistic shift away from bop and toward a stronger rhythm and blues emphasis. Three uptempo tunes here are pure bebop; the remaining number is a medium blues piece, quite characteristic of the hard bop period. The front line on this set includes Donald Byrd and Curtis Fuller with the rhythm section of Sonny Clark, George Joyner and Art Taylor.

Blues Walk is an album by jazz saxophonist Lou Donaldson. It has been considered Donaldson's "undisputed masterpiece". It was recorded in July 1958 by Rudy Van Gelder in his studio.

The Time Is Right is an album by jazz saxophonist Lou Donaldson recorded for the Blue Note label and performed by Donaldson with Blue Mitchell, Horace Parlan, Laymon Jackson, Dave Bailey, and Ray Barretto with Sam Jones and Al Harewood replacing Jackson and Bailey on one track.

"Wizard of the Vibes" was recorded in several sessions between 1948 and 1952, and is a compilation of performances by vibraphonist Milt Jackson. It features performances of his playing with The Thelonious Monk Quintet and The Modern Jazz Quartet plus Lou Donaldson.

The influence of Charlie Parker can be heard in virtually every modern jazz musician, particularly players of the alto saxophone. Although considered to be one of "Bird's Children", Lou Donaldson absorbed and synthesized other pre-Parker influences, such as Johnny Hodges and Benny Carter. This recording marks a period in his development prior to a stylistic shift away from bop and toward a stronger rhythm and blues emphasis.

Lou Donaldson has long been an excellent bop altoist influenced by Charlie Parker, but with a more blues-based style of his own. His distinctive tone has been heard in a variety of small group settings, and he has recorded dozens of worthy and spirited sets throughout the years. His bluesy style was easily transferable to soul-jazz, and he sounded most original in that context. Swing And Soul is a Donaldson album from 1957 that features his most famous quintet consisting of Herman Foster on piano, Peck Morrison on bass, Dave Bailey on drums and Ray Barretto on congas.