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.
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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.
Upon moving to Philadelphia,
Turrentine struck up a chemistry with another organist,
Jimmy Smith, appearing on
Smith's 1960 classics
Back at the Chicken Shack and
Midnight Special, among others. Also in 1960,
Turrentine began recording as a leader for Blue Note, concentrating chiefly on small-group
soul-jazz on classics like
That's Where It's At, but also working with
the Three Sounds (on 1961's
Blue Hour) and experimenting with larger ensemble settings in the mid-'60s. As the '70s dawned,
Turrentine and
Scott divorced and
Turrentine became a popular linchpin of Creed Taylor's new,
fusion-oriented CTI label; he recorded five albums, highlighted by
Sugar,
Salt Song, and
Don't Mess With Mister T. While those commercially accessible efforts were artistically rewarding as well, critical opinion wasn't as kind to his late-'70s work for Fantasy; still,
Turrentine continued to record prolifically, and returned to his trademark
soul-jazz in the '80s and '90s.
Turrentine passed away on September 12, 2000, following a massive stroke. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
