Milestones Posted January 7, 2014 Report Posted January 7, 2014 I feel like I've been sleeping on Stanley Turrentine. I've known him mostly in the context of small groups with Jimmy Smith--stuff I've enjoyed, but not work I would call stunningly great. I really enjoy his contribution to Burrell's fabulous Midnight Blue. I'm not so big on the organ records with Shirley Scott, nor am I enamored of the big band record Joyride. However, I've been listening to quintet/sextet stuff on Blue Note, a little less funky and more in a straight-ahead bag (usually no organ). Maybe part of it has to do with the company: Lee Morgan, Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, Curtis Fuller, Herbie Hancock, Blue Mitchell, Grant Green, etc. Seems like really good stuff, especially my main focus so far--the record In Memory Of. Feel free to add your views on the original Mr. T. Quote
John L Posted January 7, 2014 Report Posted January 7, 2014 It was the seductive sound of Turrentine's tenor (CTI recordings) on FM Quiet Storm radio, more than anything else, that brought me into jazz in the first place. I still love that sound. Quote
mikelz777 Posted January 7, 2014 Report Posted January 7, 2014 I like Turrentine a lot and have 16 discs worth of his material which represents even more in actual releases. I was surprised when I noticed that all but one of the releases were dated between 1960 and 1963. Quote
Bluesnik Posted January 7, 2014 Report Posted January 7, 2014 I like his collaborations with Horace Parlan (IIRC Look Out and Up & Down, with Booker Ervin), his album with The Three Sounds (Blue Sounds) and above all his That's where it's at. Quote
king ubu Posted January 7, 2014 Report Posted January 7, 2014 My first leader release of his, and stil very much a favorite of mine, was the "Up at Minton's" 2CD set (with Parlan's trio plus Grant Green). Quote
sidewinder Posted January 7, 2014 Report Posted January 7, 2014 Recorded evidence from the UK confirms that he was playing in fine form in the 'Up at Mintons' style up to at least 2 years before his passing. Highly under-rated in later years IMO. Quote
Leeway Posted January 7, 2014 Report Posted January 7, 2014 In July of last year, I got interested in Stanley Turrentine, sort of out of the blue, since I had not listened to him in several years IIRC. So in short order, I played "Another Story," "A Chip Off the Old Block," "Dearly Beloved," "Hustlin'," "The Spoiler," "Shirley Scott with Stanley Turrentine," and maybe one or two others. I really enjoyed listening to Stanley. I thought his tenor playing had some quirks or little "moves" that added interest, hard to describe better. It was a highly expressive style. Anyway, I found him more interesting, and more enjoyable, than I had previously. Quote
Scott Dolan Posted January 7, 2014 Report Posted January 7, 2014 Someone here turned me onto Blue Hour not too long ago. Fantastic album. And I mean it as the highest praise when I call it a poor mans Kind of Blue. Quote
JSngry Posted January 7, 2014 Report Posted January 7, 2014 It was the seductive sound of Turrentine's tenor (CTI recordings) on FM Quiet Storm radio, more than anything else, that brought me into jazz in the first place. I still love that sound. I do so with full awareness of what I'm saying, but...the best Turrentine records to me are Salt Song & Don't Mess With Mister T. Not the best "jazz" or the best "tenor playing", just the best records, presentations. They're pretty much the ultimate manifestation of what CTI was meant to do, imo, those two and Sunflower. Some others came close, but those...you have to be really, really anti-whatever it is that "that" is to not hear Turrentine on those records and enjoy it some kind of level. No other prerequisites required. Apart from those, my long-term fave is probably Hustlin', not the least because of the interplay in the comping between Shirley Scott & Kenny Burrell. When the background is as involving as the foreground and the foreground is as good as what comes out here, hey, that's a good jazz record, period. Also, the various sessions with Duke Pearson (under both T's, & Pearson's name) produce consistently outstanding results. That was a winning combination. Don't overllok his work with Max Roach, either. His personality is not as direct as it would become, but still, an unmistakeable sound and conception. But really, Turrentine never sounded bad, imo. The settings vary widely, to say the least, but the man himself always sounded like he meant whatever he was doing at the time. Quote
mjzee Posted January 7, 2014 Report Posted January 7, 2014 (edited) I highly recommend the Turrentine Mosaic, which would be right up Milestones's alley since it has no organ dates. The Mosaic box is still in print; there's also a really inexpensive (legit) mp3 version available through Amazon or eMusic. I also like the dates on the Horace Parlan Mosaic box which feature Turrentine, actually much more than I like the Parlan trio dates. I agree with a lot of the recommendations mentioned above (Minton's, Blue Hour, etc.); still need to explore the CTI's. Finally, Stanley released some nice dates in his later years on MusicMasters - check out "If I Could," which has a great version of Caravan. Although, if anyone wants to discuss "Pieces of Dreams" (Stanley Turrentine, pop star!)... Edited January 7, 2014 by mjzee Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted January 7, 2014 Report Posted January 7, 2014 I'll also offer a BIG second the Turrentine Mosaic, which is very jazz-oriented (and not really soul-jazz). Also, the two very first real "jazz" dates that I heard with Stanley that just BLEW me away completely -- were both from 1960... Dizzy Reece - Comin' On! Duke Jordan - Flight to Jordan Prior to these two (first heard about 10-12 years ago), I'd only ever heard soul-jazz dates by and with Stanley -- which were certainly good for what they were -- but didn't show off his real jazz chops. Quote
king ubu Posted January 7, 2014 Report Posted January 7, 2014 Yeah, "Flight to Jordan" is great! Speaking of cut-off dates ... with Stanley T., mine was mid sixties for quite a while ... great to love those Duke P. sessions, though, but still haven't payed proper attention to the CTIs - thanks Mr. Sangrey! Quote
CJ Shearn Posted January 7, 2014 Report Posted January 7, 2014 Stanley was far more diverse than anyone gave him credit for, one on my all time favorite tenors period. I agree with Jim on the CTI stuff, there is far more there than you would think. There are brief moments on "Povo" on the Hubbard/Turrentine "In Concert: Volume 1" where he uncharacteristically goes outside briefly, ditto on "Straight Life" on the 40th Anniversary Edition of "California Concert". "Blue Flames" with Shirley Scott is a great album too, nothing groundbreaking, just good solid swinging. Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted January 7, 2014 Report Posted January 7, 2014 It was the seductive sound of Turrentine's tenor (CTI recordings) on FM Quiet Storm radio, more than anything else, that brought me into jazz in the first place. I still love that sound. I do so with full awareness of what I'm saying, but...the best Turrentine records to me are Salt Song & Don't Mess With Mister T. Not the best "jazz" or the best "tenor playing", just the best records, presentations. They're pretty much the ultimate manifestation of what CTI was meant to do, imo, those two and Sunflower. Some others came close, but those...you have to be really, really anti-whatever it is that "that" is to not hear Turrentine on those records and enjoy it some kind of level. No other prerequisites required. This convinces me Jim is more a "marketer" than anything. It clears up some other stuff. Quote
fasstrack Posted January 8, 2014 Report Posted January 8, 2014 Try Jubilee Shout, with brother Tommy and Kenny Burrell in the front line. Originally a double LP (Blue Note?). Dandy stuff. Quote
JSngry Posted January 8, 2014 Report Posted January 8, 2014 Hey, I don't mind being alone, even for extended periods, nor to be "included". I'm just not temperamentally built to live in either place by any means necessary unless there's a need at stake one way or the other. If there was a need for Turrentine to not make a record like Salt Song, I can't find it. And as long as he did it, I'm delighted that it got made so well. Not all of them were. As for me. I'm going to a rehearsal to see if I can get this new tune I wrote to be played like Lester Bowie playing a Burt Bacharach tune without either input being at all obvious (child of the '70s, too late to unlearn any reasons why to not think like that when the thoughts arise!). If it works, at some point, hell yeah, I'll market it. Who wouldn't? But that's gonna be a really, really big "if"... Quote
danasgoodstuff Posted January 8, 2014 Report Posted January 8, 2014 I love Stan the Man, have ALL the BNs, none of the CTI - I've heard bits and pieces and will probably get them eventually, just saving them for a rainy day. Among his many virtues is his ability to get the most out of a melody or riff, if the tune has anything at all to it, he'll get it. Much like Grant Green in that regard. Quote
Milestones Posted January 8, 2014 Author Report Posted January 8, 2014 Thanks for all the glowing comments about Stanley Turrentine. It's cool to have this sense of discovery and/or rediscovery of a major jazz figure after 30+ years of listening. It would be great to have more records of Turrentine and Grant Green together. Quote
Peter Friedman Posted January 8, 2014 Report Posted January 8, 2014 I am in a much different camp here than Jim. The CTI stuff holds little if any interest for me. It is his jazz albums as both leader and sideman that speak to me? His various albums with Horace Parlan, the Duke Jordan, the Kenny Burrell, and a variety of other Sessions on Blue Note are things I like. Also don't forget the two albums on Time, reissued on Bainbridge. One under Stanley's name, and the other with his brother Tommy as leader. Quote
JSngry Posted January 8, 2014 Report Posted January 8, 2014 I know this isn't jazz, but... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5bVvnMsbOA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PgkrSp8lC0 Quote
Larry Kart Posted January 9, 2014 Report Posted January 9, 2014 I know this isn't jazz, but... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5bVvnMsbOA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PgkrSp8lC0 You're being ironic, right, with "I know this isn't jazz"? Great ST. Quote
David Ayers Posted January 9, 2014 Report Posted January 9, 2014 At the opposite end to the fine BN quartet/quintet material collected by Mosaic (Stanley Turrentine – Blue Note Stanley Turrentine/Sextet Sessions) are my real favorites, the late-release BN sessions collected as Return of the Prodigal Son (Stanley Turrentine – Return Of The Prodigal Son) and A Bluish Bag (Stanley Turrentine – A Bluish Bag) [all links are to Spotify]. Quote
danasgoodstuff Posted January 9, 2014 Report Posted January 9, 2014 At the opposite end to the fine BN quartet/quintet material collected by Mosaic (Stanley Turrentine – Blue Note Stanley Turrentine/Sextet Sessions) are my real favorites, the late-release BN sessions collected as Return of the Prodigal Son (Stanley Turrentine – Return Of The Prodigal Son) and A Bluish Bag (Stanley Turrentine – A Bluish Bag) [all links are to Spotify]. Hearing him quote Wade In the Water on one of those made me wish he'd done a full album of gospel/spirituals. I may be the only person sorely disappointed that they didn't include his take on Hey There Georgey Girl and Up Up & Away on the session they were from.... Quote
_forumlogo.png.a607ef20a6e0c299ab2aa6443aa1f32e.png)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.