Nightwings Stanley Turrentine

Other than a few short spots, Stanley Turrentine is the only significant soloist on this CD reissue which features a diverse program including "When the Sun Comes Out," "Maybe September," "You're Gonna Hear from Me" and a previously unreleased rendition of Max Roach's jazz waltz "Lonesome Lover." Although he is accompanied by an all-star group that includes trumpeter Blue Mitchell, altoist James Spaulding, baritonist Pepper Adams and pianist McCoy Tyner, Turrentine's sidemen could almost have been anonymous studio players for the tenor is the dominant voice throughout. It is surprising that Pearson did not make more extensive use of the other musicians' unique talents, particularly Tyner. However, despite some potentially indifferent material, Turrentine is in fine form throughout the date, even finding something to say on "Sunny." "La Fiesta" (no relation to the later Chick Corea tune) is the highpoint of a largely enjoyable set.

Stanley Turrentine's stint with Creed Taylor's CTI label may not have produced any out-and-out classics on the level of the very best LPs by Freddie Hubbard, Hubert Laws, or George Benson, but the bluesy tenorist's output was consistently strong and worthwhile for all but the most stridently anti-fusion listeners. Salt Song was Turrentine's second album for CTI, and while it's perhaps just a small cut below his debut Sugar, it's another fine, eclectic outing that falls squarely into the signature CTI fusion sound: smooth but not slick, accessible but not simplistic…

Obscure material by Stanley Turrentine - recorded in 1967, but not issued until 1979, and then only briefly! This album is a very pleasant and stylish gathering of some top musicians, featuring among them Donald Byrd, Pepper Adams, McCoy Tyner, Joe Farrell and Ron Carter. The tunes are arranged by Duke Pearson and recorded superbly by Rudy Van Gelder.
The album's got Stan working strongly in the Joyride style of his previous Blue Note hit - with larger arrangements from Duke Pearson, in a groove that sets Turrentine's tenor up with plenty of soulful rhythms! Pearson brings a nice sense of lyricism to the session, even a hint of bossa at times - and the sharp-edged Turrentine tone is a welcome one throughout - setting sparks and illuminating corners of the music with a deeply personal feel.

The fifth and final Stanley Turrentine CTI recording actually predates all but the first album (Sugar). This LP has five selections from Feb.-Apr. 1971, including three with larger bands arranged by either Deodato or Chico O'Farrill, and two with a sextet also including guitarist Kenny Burrell and organist Butch Cornell. The best-known selection is the tenor's first rendition of Michel Legrand's "Pieces of Dreams" from June 1973; his July 1974 rendition for Fantasy would become quite popular. Although one could consider this album to consist of leftovers, Turrentine's playing is excellent, and the overall results certainly top most of the tenor's upcoming Fantasy releases.

This 1961 groove date by Stanley Turrentine is an example of him at his fiery peak. Far from the slow groover of the CTI years, Turrentine's early Blue Note sides were massive and bright, saturated in deep soul and blues. This set featured Turrentine's wife, organist and composer Shirley Scott, and a pair of alternating rhythm sections. The first is Major Holley on bass and Al Harewood on drums, and the second is with Sam Jones and Clarence Johnston. Latin Conguero Ray Barretto appeared with the Holley/Harewood band. The set opens with a stomping version of Lloyd Price's "Trouble," with Scott taking the early solo while driving the groove…

A legend of the tenor saxophone, Stanley Turrentine was renowned for his distinctively thick, rippling tone, an earthy grounding in the blues, and his ability to work a groove with soul and imagination. Turrentine recorded in a wide variety of settings, but was best-known for his Blue Note soul-jazz jams of the '60s, and also underwent a popular fusion makeover in the early '70s. Born in Pittsburgh on April 5, 1934, Turrentine began his career playing with various blues and R&B bands, with a strong influence from Illinois Jacquet. He played in Lowell Fulson's band with Ray Charles from 1950-1951, and in 1953, he replaced John Coltrane in Earl Bostic's early R&B/jazz band. After a mid-'50s stint in the military, Turrentine joined Max Roach's band and subsequently met organist Shirley Scott, whom he married in 1960 and would record with frequently…

Stanley Turrentine still has a sweeter sound than any other saxophonist, even at the age of 65. It's a joy to hear him play, even when the material is a little faceless and the sound is a little too smooth, as it is on Do You Have Any Sugar? Since Turrentine is a fine musician, there are moments to cherish scattered throughout the record - the spare, soulful ballad "Far Too Little Love" or the R&B groove of "Back in the Day" or the bluesy "2 RBs," for instance - but it often veers too close to smooth jazz territory, especially when vocalist Niki Harris takes the center stage; she is a fine vocalist, but the style of the music becomes too close to crossover jazz whenever she's on the scene…

A very large group session recorded in March 1976 for Fantasy, Everybody Come on Out features Turrentine with Joe Sample, Lee Ritenour, Craig McMullen, Paul Jackson, Harvey Mason, Bill Summers, and Dawilli Gonga.

Stanley Turrentine was fresh from his brilliant playing on Hammond B-3 maestro Jimmy Smith's Midnight Special and Back at the Chicken Shack sessions when he officially signed with Blue Note Records in 1960, but although the hard bop sax/organ template (which later came to be called soul-jazz) seemed to fit Turrentine like a glove, his first sessions for the label found him working with a more standard jazz format highlighted by a piano-led rhythm section. On Dearly Beloved, though, paired with his eventual wife, Shirley Scott, on the B-3 and the alert and sensitive drumming of Roy Brooks, Turrentine found the perfect pocket for his big, soulful, and slightly raw and bluesy sax tone, and for those only familiar with his later pop crossover recordings with CTI Records, it's a pretty revelatory set…