Don't Mess With Mister Turrentine

Another new remastered CD celebrating 40 years of CTI Records is the CTI Masterworks release of Stanley Turrentine’s Don’t Mess With Mister T. Backed by a Big Band Orchestra (horns and strings) arranged and conducted by Bob James, the original album has been augmented by 4 additional tracks for a full hour of music. James along with Harold Mabern, Richard Tee and Johnny Hammond handle the keyboards, Ron Carter is on bass, Eric Gale on guitar and Irdis Muhammed and Billy Cobham can be heard on drums.

Turrentine had come a long way from the days of touring with Lowell Fulson (Ray Charles on piano), but his music never lost its blues roots and its present in his playing on the title track, a soulful Marvin Gaye composition followed by Turrentine’s mid-tempo groover, Two For T. that has the feel of an organ combo with Gale chording while Mabern takes a nice electric piano solo with carter and Muhammed (with a short break) laying down the steady groove. Turrentine’s Too Blue is another medium tempo blues groover with Richard Tee’s organ and backing horns to support Mr. T’s blues playing and Gale’s jazzy single note solo also benefits from spare use of horn riffs. Turrentine’s warm ballad playing and Gale’s bluesy fretwork and Tee’s churchy organ are heard on Bruce Hawes’ I Could Never Repay Your Love. James arrangement merits mention as the employment of horns and strings complement Turrentine on this and do not get syrupy.

Pieces of Dreams is the first of the bonus selections and the strings are a bit too prominent although Turrentine and rhythm section sounds fine when the strings lay out. The alternate take of the Marvin Gaye title track has Billy Cobham on drums and Johnny Hammond on organ and has more of blowing feel as the horn section and strings lay out. Hammond and Gale really tear into their solos while Turrentine exhibits considerable passion. Hammond, Gale and Turrentine exhibit more fire in Cobham’s Mississippi City Strut, and while James’ Harlem Dawn is not a striking a composition perhaps, it is a nice moody performance with more robust tenor saxophone.

Certainly there is nothing wrong with the first four tracks that constituted the original album. The addition of the bonus tracks (especially the last three) makes the CTI Masterworks reissue of Don’t Mess With Mister T., an even stronger showcase for Stanley Turrentine’s tender yet muscular, bluesy and soulful tenor saxophone.

A publicist sent me the review copy. And here is Mr. Turrentine playing the title track

Stanley Turrentine's "Salt Song" Part of Celebration of 40 Years Of CTI

Part of the celebration of the 40th Anniversary of CTI, Sony through its CTI Masterworks imprint has issued Salt Song by Stanley Turrentine. CTI was a good choice to showcase Turrentine’s blues-rooted attack and soulful sound and at this July 1971 recording he was joined in Rudy Van Gelder’s Studios by a band that included Ron Carter, Bill Cobham, Airto Moreira, Horace Parlan, Richard Tee and Eric Gale, among others

Freddie Hubbard’s Gibraltar is a straight-ahead swinger that showcases Turrentine warm, robust playing. Eric Gale’s blues tinged guitar provides a nice second solo voice with Airto adds percussion accents. The traditional gospel number I Told Jesus employs strings and a vocal chorus with Gale’s spare, bluesy guitar providing a foil for Turrentine’s vocalized tenor sax. Milton Nascimento’s title track has a Brazilian flavor with a lightly swaying groove as Turrentine solos vigorously. Turrentine, in addition to his blues roots (from the days touring with bluesman Lowell Fulson), was a superb ballad player as exhibited on I Haven’t Got Anything Better to Do, with strings added to presumably add a lush background. Turrentine’s atmospheric “Storm” closed out the original release. A bonus track is a lively boss nova, Vera Cruz from the album, Gilberto With Turrentine, with a fuller band having full flute and full string sections and arrangement by Emir Deodata.

This is a typically solid recording by Turrentine in a straight-ahead vein. While there was some sweetening to some of the music heard here, it was not done heavy-handedly and the result is a recording that sounds fine four decades later.

My review copy was provided by a publicist for this release.

George Benson's Spanish Flavored White Rabbit

George Benson was already an established guitarist when he signed with Creed Taylor and CTI Records. As part of the 40th Anniversary of CTI Records, Sony has issued on CTI Masterworks White Rabbit, an album that situated the guitar in the flamenco-tinged arrangements of Don Sebesky. The musicians on this session included Herbie Hancock on electric piano, Ron Carter on bass, Billy Cobham on drums, and Airto on percussion. Hubert Laws was part of the larger band and added a solo to the title track.

The title track was a remarkable adaptation of the Jefferson Airplane song and sets the tone to the album. The underlying groove of Grace Slick’s original lends itself to the flamenco inspired setting as the trumpet conjures the bullring, and Benson’s guitar initial evokes the flamenco masters before he takes his solo. It is followed by Herbie Hancock who rips off a startling solo punctuated by the horns which is then followed by Laws' solo. The rendition provides an energetic start to this recording.

Of course White Rabbit is not the only pleasure to be heard here. Theme From 'Summer of 42' provides a quieter mood as Benson states the theme with Jay Berliner's acoustic guitar helping set the mood while Hancock's electric piano establishes a foundation for Benson's solo. Little Train (from Bachianas Brasileiras #2) has a lively Brazilian feel with Airto adding a wordless vocal in addition to percussion. California Dreamin' opens with a Flamenco flavor and a lush Sebesky arrangement that mixes in Harp with the woodwinds and brass over which Benson's agile, fleet solo rides as Berliner chording behind him.

This disc concludes with Benson's El Mar, which also has a similar Spanish (or perhaps Moorish) flavor. It is built upon a slightly dramatic motif and apparently was Earl Klugh's debut recording. Klugh plays acoustic guitar here. Like the rest of the album, this is wonderfully recorded and remastered so for example one can hear the sizzle and crackle from the drums and Airto's percussion as well as very clearly and distinctly. This was recorded by Rudy Van Gelder and while Van Gelder was apparently not involved with remastering these reissues, the clarity of the sound does justice to the wonderful music heard here.

My review copy was provided by a publicist.

Sunflower is a Milt Jackson CTI Masterwork

Milt Jackson's Sunflower (CTI Masterworks) was among the initial batch of CDs to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of CTI Records. This recording dates from late 1972 and had the great vibes played joined by a band that included Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on Bass, Billy Cobham on drums, Ralph McDonald on percussion, and Freddie Hubbard on trumpet. In addition there is a string section and classically oriented horns (alto flute, English horn, oboe, piccolo) on some of the tracks with Don Sebesky's arrangements on a re-mastered, remixed and re-edited reissue.

Jay Berliner's flamenco-styled guitar sets the mood on Jackson's For Someone I Love, with Jackson and Hubbard playing with lovely restraint on this ballad. What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life, by Michel Legrand, and Alan and Marilyn Bergman also displays Hubbard melodic side with immaculate support with the strings creating a dreamy cushion. Hancock switches to electric piano for interpretation of The Stylistic's hit, People Make the World Go Round, providing a base for the solos by Jackson and Hubbard before taking a lengthy one himself. Hubbard contributed the lilting title track on which strings reappear and it is followed by a Milt Jackson blues, SKJ, the most straight-ahead performance here with plenty of heat generated. It is performances like this one that really get this writer’s juices going.

Sunflower may be a bit sweet at spots for this writer's taste, but it is strongly played and easy to listen to.


My review copy was provided by a publicist for the label.

Ron Carter's Masterful CTI Classic "All Blues"

Sony Masterworks has reissued in the USA, Ron Carter's All Blues, in a CTI-40th Anniversary Edition remastered from the original two-track analog tracks. It is presented in a softpack sleeve that replicates the original vinyl LP and iconic cover design. Carter, one of the greatest bassists in the history of jazz, was joined on this CTI session by a group that included Sir Roland Hanna on piano, Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone and Billy Cobham on drums with Richard Tee playing electric piano on one track. This 1973 session was originally issued in 1974 at a time when Carter may have been at his greatest popularity.

From the personnel listed above, one should not be surprised that this is a marvelously played collection of mostly blues related compositions. There is the elegant piano of Roland Hanna, the clean tenor sax of Henderson, the firm anchor of Carter and his bass with Cobham swinging. The performances come across as very precisely played with a chamber group feel to some extent. This is noticed on the opening, A Feeling, a brisk finger snapping number, deftly performed. This is followed by Light Blue, where Hanna spare playing sets the mood on this tone poem before joined Cobham's light percussion and Carter's bass.

On 117 Special, Richard Tee's electric piano sets forth a dreamy mood under Henderson's saxophone lead. Henderson plays with a breathy tone, but little other tonal embellishment. He is followed by Carter for a thoughtful piccolo bass solo. Rufus starts as a trio performance, with Henderson and Carter engaging in a dialogue with Cobham adding embellishments and accents before Hanna enters with light, swinging, piano.  The centerpiece is  Miles Davis’ All Blues, on which Carter states the theme followed by Henderson whose solo builds with intensity with Cobham superb in support. Hanna's piano provides a brief bridge before Carter solos at length. Carter is unaccompanied for a remarkable performance on Will You Still Be Mine.

Ron Carter's All Blues was immaculately played with thoughtfulness and elegance. While this writer might have preferred a bit more grit and fire during this blues-centered recording, one can appreciate the grace and skill exhibited. The remastering for CTI's 40th Anniversary enables all of the nuances of the performances here to be appreciated.

My review copy was provided by a publicist for this release.

Prelude By Deodato More Than Theme From 2001

Brazilian born Emuir Deodato is primarily remembered for his 1972 orchestral recording of Also Sprach Zarathustra, the Richard Strauss composition that was known as the theme from the Movie 2001. Deodato adapted the Strauss composition from symphonic form to more contemporary tastes with his insistent and creative electronic piano, John Tropea’s twisting, rock-toned guitar solo, Stanley Clarke’s electric bass solo, and the latin flavored percussion of Airto and Ray Barretto.

Deodato’s recording of the Strauss theme was a Grammy winner in 1974 for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. Not a bad achievement for someone who as a teenager working for a local rock band was asked to arrange for a recording session orchestra. By 1967, he had moved to the United States, and wrote for American studios and was contributing arrangements for Astrud Gilberto, contributed three charts to Wes Montgomery's Down Here on the Ground, and was soon working for major names in several fields including Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler, Frank Sinatra.

As part of the celebration of CTI’s 40th Anniversary, Sony Masterworks has issued Prelude, the album that included Also Sprach Zarathustra and was CTI’s biggest hit. Remastered from the original two-track audio tapes, it presents the familiar Strauss number with five other instrumentals. Spirit of Summer is one of his compositions that is a lovely big band number with an Jay Berliner acoustic guitar solo and I( assume Hubert Laws taking) a short flute break. Carly and Carole, has a playful feel opening with a lovely flute ensemble and Deodato’s electric piano to state the theme over the percussion before Deodato takes an engaging and dreamy solo.

Ron Carter in on acoustic bass for much of this release except is on electric bass for the bouncy Baubles, Bangles and Beads as Billy Cobham, on drums, keeps the groove moving while Tropea adds some driving guitar in addition to Deodato’s imaginative and lively arrangement. Hubert Laws is featured on Claude Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, first setting the mood on the opening moments and taking the initial solo when the performance speeds up. The disc concludes with the funky September 13 that Deodato and Billy Cobham collaborated on. The rhythm section provides a strong, percolating groove over which the horns and guitarist Tropea make statements.


Prelude was Deodato’s most successful recording displaying his marvelous arrangements in addition to a superb studio orchestra. He would produce other albums, none as successful as this and later worked more as an arranger and producer with the likes of Kool & the Gang. While this reissue is relatively short (a tad over 32 minutes for the six performances), it is another example of the wonderful audio qualities of CTI recordings that enhance listening to the music included.


My review copy was provided by a publicist for the release.