Quartet/Quintet/Sextet

Quartet/Quintet/Sextet is an album by American jazz saxophonist Lou Donaldson recorded on June 20 and November 19, 1952 and August 22, 1954 and released on Blue Note in 1957. The quartet features rhythm section Horace Silver, Gene Ramey and Art Taylor; the quintet adds trumpeter Blue Mitchell. The sextet features a new lineup, with brass section Kenny Dorham and Matthew Gee and rhythm section Elmo Hope, Percy Heath and Art Blakey.

Background
The sessions were originally released on New Faces, New Sounds: Lou Donaldson–Clifford Brown (1953, BLP 5021) and Lou Donaldson Sextet, Volume 2 (1954, BLP 5055), respectively.

Reception
The AllMusic review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine states, "While Donaldson's tone isn't quite as full as it would be within just five years, he impresses with his bold, speedy technique and fine phrasing. He doesn't play anything out of the ordinary, but he plays it very, very well, and his playing is enhanced by the three stellar bands that support him on these sessions... Everyone plays in a straight bop and hard bop tradition, contributing fine performances to a strong debut effort by Donaldson."

June 20, 1952

 * Lou Donaldson – alto saxophone
 * Horace Silver – piano
 * Gene Ramey – bass
 * Art Taylor – drums
 * recorded at WOR Studios, NYC

November 19, 1952

 * Lou Donaldson – alto saxophone
 * Blue Mitchell – trumpet
 * Horace Silver – piano
 * Gene Ramey – bass
 * Art Taylor – drums
 * recorded at WOR Studios, NYC

August 22, 1954

 * Lou Donaldson – alto saxophone
 * Kenny Dorham – trumpet
 * Matthew Gee – trombone
 * Elmo Hope – piano
 * Percy Heath – bass
 * Art Blakey – drums
 * recorded at Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ

Technical personnel

 * Alfred Lion – producer
 * Rudy Van Gelder – recording engineer
 * Reid Miles – design
 * Francis Wolff – photography
 * Leonard Feather – liner notes