CD Reissue of the Month - "Stanley Turrentine: Sugar/Gilberto with Turrentine/Salt Song"

CD Reissue of the Month
Stanley Turrentine: "Sugar/Gilberto With Turrentine/Salt Song" (CTI/BGO) 2018
Rating: ***** (music performance & sonic quality)

Original albums produced by Creed Taylor and engineered by Rudy Van Gelder
Album Cover Photos: Pete Turner
Cover Photo (Stanley's portrait) by Chuck Stewart

This special 2-CD package, put together by the UK label BGO, includes the first three albums recorded for CTI by the tenor titan Stanley Turrentine.

"Sugar" (1970) features Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), George Benson (guitar), Butch Cornell (organ), Lonnie Liston Smith (Fender Rhodes electric piano), Ron Carter (bass), Billy Kaye (drums), Richard "Pablo" Landrum (congas). Turrentine's debut album for Creed Taylor, it became a groundbreaking effort to his career, and a classic session on the CTI catalog as well. The program includes the amazing title track, "Sugar," that became an instant jazz classic, Butch Cornell's original boogaloo "Sunshine Alley," and a long version of John Coltrane's blues "Impressions."

"Gilberto With Turrentine" (1971) feat. Astrud Gilberto (vocals), Eumir Deodato (arranger, piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano, organ), Ron Carter and Russell George (bass), Dom Um Romão, João Palma and Denny Seiwell (drums), Airto Moreira and Dom Um Romão (percussion), Sivuca and Gene Bertoncini (acoustic guitar), Bob Mann and Sam Brown (guitar), Hubert Laws (flute), Toots Thielemans (harmonica) plus strings & woodwinds. Actually, despite his name on the cover, Turrentine plays only on 4 tracks. Only 3 of them with Astrud: "Brazilian Tapestry" (Deodato's adaptation of a Brazilian folk song, "Mulher Rendeira"), Jorge Ben's "Zazueira" (with João Palma on drums, and Dom Um on percussion), Edu Lobo/Capinam's "Ponteio" (with Toots Thielemans on harmonica), and an instrumental version of Milton Nascimento's "Vera Cruz."

"Salt Song" (1971) feat. Eumir Deodato (arranger, Fender Rhodes electric piano), Horace Parlan (piano), Richard Tee (organ), Ron Carter (bass), Billy Cobham and Airto Moreira (drums), Airto Moreira (percussion), Eric Gale (guitar) etc. Includes killer versions of Freddie Hubbard's "Gibraltar," Turrentine's own "Storm" (a showcase for Eric Gale's artistry), and Milton Nascimento's title track, "Salt Song", with both Airto and Billy Cobham on drums. There are also two haunting tunes: "I Told Jesus," a traditional gospel theme adapted by Turrentine and featuring Richard Tee on Hammond, and the pop ballad "I Haven't Got Anything Better To Do," one of Creed Taylor's favorite songs.