Tommy Turrentine

[Tom 1960]

I've been listening to Sonny Clark's 'Leapin' and Lopin' which features the fine trumpet work of Tommy Turrentine. I was wondering seeing he didn't lead too many sessions, are they other recordings where he's featured? I'd love to hear more of his stuff but have know idea where to look. Any help would be appreciated.

Edited January 6, 2007 by Tom 1960

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I've been listening to Sonny Clark's 'Leapin' and Lopin' which features the fine trumpet work of Tommy Turrentine. I was wondering seeing he didn't lead too many sessions, are they other recordings where he's featured? I'd love to hear more of his stuff but have know idea where to look. Any help would be appreciated.

Some good stuff by Stanley.

Stan the man - Time/Mainstream

Comin' your way - BN

Jubilee shout - BN

These two are on the Mosaic box, but there were CDs around you can probably pick up if you don't want to get a BEAUTIFUL Mosaic

Also

Lou Donaldson - The natural soul - BN - the first great classic with Patton/Green/Dixon

There are others I'll post when I think of them.

MG

[J.A.W.]

He recorded one session as a leader for Time, Tommy Turrentine. You can also hear him as a sideman on Horace Parlan's Blue Note dates Speakin' My Piece and On the Spur of the Moment, which also feature his brother Stanley Turrentine on tenor saxophone.

[Dan Gould]

I was super fortunate to stumble across the SACD reissue of the Tommy Turrentine leader date, used, for only $8. And I don't even have an SACD player.

Its unfortunate that "personal issues" interfered so much with his career; his appearance in that Blue Note Story DVD is painful, to say the least.

[Brad]

If you can find that leader session, get it. Definitely worth it.

[mikeweil]

Second the recommendation of his Time LP - there was a great sounding SACD reissue that's still around in places.

Tommy and Stan were featured in Max Roach's group for a while - the Mosaic box has some of it.

[Peter Friedman]

Here are some other recordings where you can hear Tommy Turrentine.

Paul Chambers - First Bassman - Vee Jay

Booker Ervin - The Book Cooks - Bethlehem

Jackie McLean - A Fickle Sonance - Blue Note

Dexter Gordon - Landslide - Blue Note

[Chuck Nessa]

I think the last time I saw him was with Sun Ra in '82.

[sal]

Some nice Tommy Turrentine on the Stanley Mosaic.

[AllenLowe]

saw him around a lot in NYC in the late 1970s - some memories:

one night at Cami Hall in New York Turrentine played a concert with Duke Jordan (circa 1977); he played the whole concert a quarter tone sharp - like there was nothing wrong, they just went through each tune. I thought I was in the Twilight Zone

one night at the Angry Squire, a club on 23rd Street that I used to hang out at, Turrentine was at the bar. He looked to be in a strange mood; as the night progressed he began to wander the club, staring into people's faces and growling like a dog. He came up to me at one point, put his face in mine, and roared menacingly.

at one of Barry Harris's annual concerts (maybe 1979) Turrentine did a duet with Lonnie Hillyer on a beautiful and slow version of Star Eyes. It was nice, though both trumpeters seemed on the verge of collapsing. There was an intermission right afterward, and I ran into Hugh Lawson, with whom I was studying at the time. He looked and me and said: "those guys are FUCKED UP."

ahh, the good ole days...

Edited January 7, 2007 by AllenLowe

[Chuck Nessa]

quick delete and edit Al. Not an edit to be seen.

[kh1958]

He plays (and has a couple of solos on) Sun Ra's Blue Delight.

[ValerieB]

saw him around a lot in NYC in the late 1970s - some memories:

one night at Cami Hall in New York Turrentine played a concert with Duke Jordan (circa 1977); he played the whole concert a quarter tone sharp - like there was nothing wrong, they just went through each tune. I thought I was in the Twilight Zone

one night at the Angry Squire, a club on 23rd Street that I used to hang out at, Turrentine was at the bar. He looked to be in a strange mood; as the night progressed he began to wander the club, staring into people's faces and growling like a dog. He came up to me at one point, put his face in mine, and roared menacingly.

at one of Barry Harris's annual concerts (maybe 1979) Turrentine did a duet with Lonnie Hillyer on a beautiful and slow version of Star Eyes. It was nice, though both trumpeters seemed on the verge of collapsing. There was an intermission right afterward, and I ran into Hugh Lawson, with whom I was studying at the time. He looked and me and said: "those guys are FUCKED UP."

ahh, the good ole days...

and both of these talented musicians left us at a very young age. i used to hear tommy in the '60s around the village and of course i heard lonnie with mingus too many times to count. tommy has a brilliant daughter in ny who is a nursing administrator, i believe.

[The Rep]

I was very lucky in picking up a brand new vinyl re-issue of the Tommy Turrentine album about 10 months ago. Super album on Time Records Inc 70008. He composed some nice stuff too, I think he wrote a piece called Light Blue which I liked.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I think he wrote a piece called Light Blue which I liked.

Yes, that's a nice piece. Stanley also recorded it on "That's where it's at" with Les McCann, and Horace Parlan on "Up and down" with Booker Ervin (that's on the Parlan Mosaic).

MG

Edited January 7, 2007 by The Magnificent Goldberg

[J.A.W.]

and both of these talented musicians left us at a very young age.

Tommy Turrentine (4/22/1928-5/13/1997) was 69 when he died, Hillyer (3/25/1940-7/1/1985) 45.

Edited January 7, 2007 by J.A.W.

[ValerieB]

and both of these talented musicians left us at a very young age.

Tommy Turrentine (4/22/1928-5/13/1997) was 69 when he died, Hillyer (3/25/1940-7/1/1985) 45.

thanks for that bit of info, j.a.w. i was obviously under the impression that tommy was much younger than that when he left us.

[B. Goren.]

Some nice Tommy Turrentine on the Stanley Mosaic.

Also on Max Roach set:

L) Max Roach Five: Tommy Turrentine (trumpet); Julian Priester (trombone); Stanley Turrentine (tenor saxophone); Bob Boswell (bass); Buddy Rich Five: Willie Dennis (trombone); Phil Woods (alto saxophone); John Bunch (piano); Phil Leshin (bass); Rich (drums); Gigi Gryce (arranger, conductor).

Fine Recording, New York City, April 7 & 8, 1959

JB487-6 Yesterdays Mercury SR60133

JB488-3 Limehouse Blues (alternate take) Mercury (J) 826-987-2 (CD)

JB488-7 Limehouse Blues Mercury SR60133

JB489-6 The Casbah (alternate take) Mercury (J) 826-987-2 (CD)

JB489-8 The Casbah Mercury SR60133

JB490-2 Big Foot (first alternate take) previously unissued

JB490-3 Big Foot Mercury SR60133

JB490-7 Big Foot (second alternate take) Mercury (J) 826-987-2 (CD)

JB491-10 Sleep Mercury SR60133

JB492-2 Toot, Toot, Tootsie, Goodbye -

JB493-4 Sing, Sing, Sing (With A Swing) (alternate take) Mercury (J) 826-987-2 (CD)

JB493-8 Sing, Sing, Sing (With A Swing) Mercury SR60133

JB503-1 Figure Eights -1 -

-1 Roach, Rich (drums) only

Note: The first tune recorded at this session was "Liza (All The Clouds'll Roll Away)". It was never issued and no tape of this tune has survived. ____________________________________________________________________

(M) Tommy Turrentine (trumpet); Julian Priester (trombone); Stanley Turrentine (tenor saxophone); Bob Boswell (bass), Max Roach (drums).

Capitol Studios, NYC, July 21, 1959

PB2167 The More I See You (omit tp, tb) Mercury SR60170

PB2169 Lotus Blossom -

PB2170 Quiet As It's Kept -

PB2171 As Long As You're Living -

PB2173 To Lady -

PB2178 Juliano -

Note: "All The Way" was recorded at this session, but no tape of that performance has survived. This session is dated July 21 because composer Leon Mitchell remembers it being recorded on the day of Billie Holiday's funeral. However, photographer Chuck Stewart's notes show this session to be December, 1959. _____________________________________________________________

(N) Tommy Turrentine-1 (trumpet); Julian Priester-2 (trombone); Stanley Turrentine-3 (tenor saxophone); Ray Bryant (piano), Bob Boswell (bass), Max Roach (drums), Abbey Lincoln-4 (vocal).

Universal Recording, Chicago, October 9 & 10, 1959

PB2672-1 Speak Low (first alternate take) previously unissued

PB2672-2 Speak Low Mercury

SR60215

PB2672-3 Speak Low (second alternate take) previously unissued

PB2673-1 Never Let Me Go -2 (first alternate take) -

PB2673-2 Never Let Me Go -2 (second alternate take) -

PB2673-7 Never Let Me Go -2 Mercury

SR60215

PB2674-2 Come Rain Or Come Shine -1 (first alternate take) previously unissued

PB2674-5 Come Rain Or Come Shine -1 (second alternate take) -

PB2674-7 Come Rain Or Come Shine -1 Mercury SR60215

PB2675-2 Namely You -3 -

PB2676-4 Moon-Faced and Starry-Eyed -

PB2677-3 Wild Is The Wind -2 (alternate take) previously unissued

PB2677-4 Wild Is The Wind -2 Mercury

SR60215

PB2678-2 You're Mine, You -3 (first alternate take) previously unissued

PB2678-4 You're Mine, You -3 Mercury

SR60215

PB2678-5 You're Mine, You -3 (second alternate take) previously unissued

PB2678-6 You're Mine, You -3 (third alternate take) -

PB2679-1 You're My Thrill -1,3 -

PB2680-2 I Concentrate On You -1,2,3,4 (alternate take) -

PB2680-4 I Concentrate On You -1,2,3,4 Mercury SR60215

PB2681-4 Never Leave Me -1,2,3,4 (alternate take) previously unissued

PB2681-6 Never Leave Me -1,2,3,4 Mercury SR60215 __________________________________________________________________

(O) Tommy Turrentine (trumpet); Julian Priester (trombone); Stanley Turrentine (tenor saxophone); Bob Boswell (bass), Max Roach (drums).

Barclay Studios, Paris, March 1, 1960

PB3241 Petit Dejeuner Mercury

SR60760

PB3242 Un Nouveau Complet -

PB3243 Parisian Sketches -

The Tower

The Champs

The Caves

The Left Bank

The Arch

Barclay Studios, Paris, March 2, 1960

PB3239 Nica Mercury SR60760

PB3240 Liberte - _______________________________________________________________________

[Tom 1960]

Thanks for the swift replies guys. I'll definitely look out for the self titled release. I'm not sure I can go along the Mosaic route, but your input is appreciated just the same. I'm probably more inclined to look up his session work as was recommended. Fickle Sonance? Duh, I already own that one! Sometimes I don't have a clue what I own.

[couw]

Tommy T's on Archie Shepp's "Mama Too Tight" as well.

[Face of the Bass]

Tommy and Stan were featured in Max Roach's group for a while - the Mosaic box has some of it.

I really like his trumpet work on Disc 5 of the Roach box, which I was listening to last night.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

TT plays all crazy on Fickle Sonnance

[AllenLowe]

there exists some excellent live bootlegs of Max's group with both brothers AND Abby Lincoln, from Europe in the early 1960s - and even at a quarter tone sharp, in the 1970s, he played nice - and at least he wasn't foaming at the mouth -

[brownie]

TommyTurrentine 1993 interview by Jimmy Owens

[Dan Gould]

Thanks for the link!

I found Yusef's "disclaimer" interesting:

DISCLAIMER

NOTE: Over the years, many prominent musicians have objected to the grouping of so many diverse musicians and musical styles under the singular jazz heading. Duke Ellington, Max Roach and Dr. Billy Taylor are among the many who have raised this issue. It is generally felt that we should refer to the music of Duke Ellington, the music of Billie Holiday or the music of Max Roach, etc. rather than using the singular jazz umbrella for everyone.

While producers, promoters, retailers, listeners, and indeed many artists, have no interest in facing the marketing difficulties and inconvenience likely to result from a name change, many artists feel quite strongly about this matter. Among those who have lectured and written on the topic is Yusef Lateef. Following is a statement from this master musician and educator.

Yusef Lateef's appearance in this journal, or in any other medium (written, audio-visual, etc.) does in no way imply that he is a jazz musician, nor is his music jazz. He is a musician, composer and educator. His music may be referred to as autophysiopsychic music.

I don't know Yusef's music as well as I might, is that name he gives it serious or just mumbo-jumbo meant as an alternative to "jazz"?