Alligator Bogaloo is one example of Lou Donaldson's successful combinations of hard bop and soul-jazz. Of the six tunes, three are Donaldson originals, including the title hit. The excellent band, consisting of Melvin Lastin, Sr. on cornet, George Benson on guitar, Lonnie Smith on organ, and Leo Morris on drums, mixes laid-back vamps beneath driving hard bop charts. As the '60s turned into the '70s, Donaldson began shaving off hard bop invention for a more radio-friendly and 45 rpm length, leaving soulful -- yet monotonous -- vamping. At that point, Donaldson's material suffered from a lack of originality. That's not the case on Alligator Bogaloo. It reached #3 on Billboard’s Top Jazz Albums.

Personnel
Melvin Lastie, Sr. – cornet
Lou Donaldson – alto sax
George Benson – guitar
Lonnie Smith – organ
Leo Morris - drums

Tracklist
1. Alligator Bogaloo
2. One Cylinder
3. Thang, The
4. Aw Shucks!
5. Rev. Moses
6. I Want A Little Girl