The solos on the album are all first-rate, especially by tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander and guitarist Peter Bernstein. The big band arrangements by Dennis Mackrel, who also conducted, have a '70s vibe with horns playing call-and-response riffs with Mike's organ and adding soulful texture throughout. Įvery track is a smoker that peels out and roars off. The Mike LeDonne Groover Quartet includes Eric Alexander (ts), Mike LeDonne (org), Peter Bernstein (g) and Joe Farnsworth (d). The Mike LeDonne Big Band features Jon Faddis, Frank Greene, Joe Magnarelli and Joshua Bruneau (tp) Mark Patterson, Steve Davis, Dion Tucker and Doug Purviance (tb) Steve Wilson and Jim Snidero (as) Eric Alexander and Scott Robinson (ts) Jason Marshall (bar) Mike LeDonne (org) Peter Bernstein (g) John Webber (b) and Joe Farnsworth (d).

The Groover tracks are Lionel Richie's Still, Ambrosia's hit Biggest Part of Me and Mike's Blues for Jed. The big band tracks are LeDonne's It's All Your Fault (a favorite phrase of Lonnie's), Grant Green's Matador, the Michael Jackson hit Rock With You, Lee Morgan's Party Time and Mike's Bags and Brown. Mike is joined on tracks here by two groups-his all-star big band and his Groover Quartet. I'm just getting to it now because I'm finally digging out from under stacks of work. Recorded in February 2020, just weeks before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown, Mike's latest album was released May of this year. Lonnie Smith, who died yesterday (more on Lonnie tomorrow). Mike's latest is It's All Your Fault (Savant), which was dedicated to the late Dr. The joy of Mike's music is that he has respect for the instrument's tradition, especially as it came into its own in the early 1970s. But his sound is all his own-always groovy and driving, but never overcooked.

You can hear his love of Charles Earland, Jimmy McGriff and Don Patterson.

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