The Best of Stanley Turrentine [Blue Note]

by Stanley Turrentine

Overview

As the man who wrote the liner notes says, Stanley Turrentine may be the only Texas tenor player to come out of Pittsburgh -- and you can hear several of the reasons why in this distillation of his Blue Note dates from 1960 to 1966, plus a grand leap all the way to 1984. Though his sound can be heard as early as the fairly conventional "Little Sheri," the real soulful Turrentine begins to emerge in "Since I Fell for You" with the 3 Sounds, and really explodes in the splendid "River's Invitation," thanks in large part to Oliver Nelson's great chart and Herbie Hancock's irresistible comping. "Smiley Stacy" is a Les McCann blues swinger that inspires a tough, characteristically pointed solo from Turrentine and some real burning from McCann and bassist Herbie Lewis -- and he digs deeply into "God Bless the Child," with then-wife Shirley Scott acting cool and caressing on the Hammond organ. Compulsive completists will have to have the CD because it contains one unreleased track from the 1966 Turrentine octet, an uneventful cover of Max Roach's "Lonesome Lover" whose phantom status over the decades was probably just as well. The highly pleasing 1984 track "Plum" is a reunion with Jimmy Smith from the late '50s and George Benson from the CTI years; Turrentine's statement of the theme in unison with Benson creates a warm, funky Varitone-like effect. It's good to have that one in there to round out the collection. ~ Richard S. Ginell

Product Details

Release Date:	10/17/1989
Label:	Blue Note
UPC:	0077779320127
Rank:	136512

Tracks

1. Little Sheri
2. Since I Fell for You
3. River's Invitation
4. In Memory Of
5. Smiley Stacy
6. God Bless the Child
7. Feelin' Good
8. Lonesome Lover
9. Plum

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Stanley Turrentine   Primary Artist,Saxophone,Sax (Tenor)
The Three Sounds   Primary Artist
Blue Mitchell   Guest Artist,Trumpet
Pepper Adams   Guest Artist,Sax (Baritone)
McCoy Tyner   Guest Artist,Piano
Les McCann   Guest Artist,Piano
George Benson   Guest Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Herbie Hancock   Guest Artist,Piano
Jimmy Smith   Guest Artist,Organ
Kenny Burrell   Guest Artist,Guitar
Curtis Fuller   Trombone
James Spaulding   Sax (Alto)
Ron Carter   Bass
Otis Finch   Drums
Mickey Roker   Drums
Al Harewood   Drums
George Tucker   Bass
Major Holley   Bass
Grant Green   Guitar
Gene Harris   Piano
Herbie Lewis   Bass
James Madison   Drums
Bill Dowdy   Drums
Blue Fuller   Trombone
Grady Tate   Drums
Horace Parlan   Piano
Julian Priester   Trombone
Shirley Scott   Organ,Organ (Hammond)
Andy Simpkins   Bass
Bob Cranshaw   Bass
Jimmy Madison   Drums
Clarence Johnston   Drums

Technical Credits

Francis Wolff   Photography
George Benson   Composer
Les McCann   Composer
Leslie Bricusse   Composer
Rob Mounsey   Arranger
Ron McMaster   Digital Transfers
Rudy Van Gelder   Engineer
Percy Mayfield   Composer
Michael Cuscuna   Producer,Compilation Producer
Max Roach   Composer
Randy Weston   Composer
Oliver Nelson   Arranger
Abbey Lincoln   Composer
Buddy Johnson   Composer
Alfred Lion   Producer
Tony May   Engineer
Anthony Newley   Composer
Jimmy Smith   Programming
Richard Mantel   Design
Franko Caligiuri   Design
Rob Fahie   Musical Adaptation
Stanley Turrentine   Composer,Producer
Billie Holiday   Composer
Arthur Herzog, Jr.   Composer