This album marked the debut on records of organist Big John Patton, who went on to record several more albums for Blue Note both under his own name and in conjunction with other artists such as Lou Donaldson.
Reception
The album was awarded 4 stars in an Allmusic review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine who states "The Natural Soul finds Lou Donaldson delving deeply into soul-jazz, recording a set of funky, greasy instrumentals with only a few references to hard bop... The original compositions — which form the bulk of the album — aren't much more than blues and soul vamps, but they provide an excellent foundation for the combo to work hot grooves. And, in the end, that's what The Natural Soul is about — groove. It maintains the high standards Donaldson established with his first soul-jazz foray, Here 'Tis, and remains one of his best records in that genre".[7]
Track listing
All compositions by Lou Donaldson except where noted
