A dedicated disciple of Charlie Parker, alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson focused his energies on the bluesier aspects of his hero's playing and rendered it with a sweeter edge that fashioned him a viable career for decades. During the early '70s, he engaged in experiments with funk and soul-jazz, resulting in his most commercially successful period and laying the groundwork for rediscovery by the "acid jazz" contingent of the '90s.