1969 · Album
Everything I Play Is Funky
Blue Note · Personnel: Lou Donaldson (saxophone), Blue Mitchell (trumpet), Lonnie Smith (organ), Melvin Sparks (guitar), Jimmy Lewis (bass), Idris Muhammad (drums); Eddie Williams (trumpet) and Charles Earland (organ) on two tracks
When the Groove Won't Let Go
Donaldson's funk experiments finally click, with grooves that feel natural instead of forced.
By the late 1960s, Lou Donaldson was chasing a sound that made sense to him — funk and soul-jazz that could reach beyond the jazz club audience. Everything I Play Is Funky sits right in that territory, and it's one of the few times the experiment actually lands. The album pairs Donaldson with Blue Mitchell, Lonnie Smith, Melvin Sparks, Jimmy Lewis, and Idris Muhammad, musicians who understood how to lock into a groove without overthinking it. Two tracks swap in Eddie Williams and Charles Earland for Mitchell and Smith, but the vibe stays consistent.
The real story here is the rhythm section. Lonnie Smith and Melvin Sparks know exactly how to make these grooves breathe. They're not playing jazz musicians pretending to be funky — they're comfortable in this pocket. Donaldson's saxophone rides over these grooves rather than fighting against them, which is the whole point. A lot of his funk-era work sounds stiff because he's trying too hard to fit in. Here, the playing feels loose and natural, like everyone showed up knowing what song they were playing.
AllMusic reviewer Steve Huey captured it well: the grooves are what matter on this record, not flashy improvisation. That's not a knock. This is a working album, made for people who wanted to dance or nod their head, not spend ten minutes untangling a solo. Modern funk and rare-groove listeners still return to it for exactly that reason. If you're curious about Donaldson's commercially minded period, this is the one that holds up.
Who's playing
Jimmy Lewisbass
Melvin Sparksguitar
Lou Donaldsonalto saxophone
Blue Mitchelltrumpet
Eddie Williamstrumpet
Dr. Lonnie Smithorgan
Charles Earlandorgan
Idris Muhammaddrums
Where next?
More by Lou Donaldson
All 15 albums →
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
