Stanley Turrentine - Sugar (1970)

Stanley Turrentine - Sugar (1970) [NOT the Remaster]

MP3 ~ 192Kbps ~ RS.com ~ 63mb

* This is not the Remaster, but the original, featuring "Gibraltar".

Allmusic.com:
If ever there were a record that both fit perfectly and stood outside the CTI Records' stable sound, it is Sugar by Stanley Turrentine. Recorded in 1970, only three tracks appear on the original album (on the reissue there's a bonus live version of the title track, which nearly outshines the original and is 50 percent longer). Turrentine, a veteran of the soul-jazz scene since the '50s, was accompanied by a who's who of groove players, including guitarist George Benson, Lonnie Liston Smith on electric piano, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, bassist Ron Carter, organist Butch Cornell, and drummer Billy Kaye, among others. (The live version adds Airto, flutist Hubert Laws, drummer Billy Cobham, and organist Johnny Hammond.) The title track is a deep soul blues workout with a swinging backbeat and the rhythm section fluidly streaming through fours and eights as Benson, Hubbard, and Turrentine begin slowly and crank up the heat, making the pace and stride of the cut simmer then pop — especially in Hubbard's solo. This is truly midnight blue, and the party's at the point of getting really serious or about to break up. By the time Benson picks up his break, full of slick, shiny, warm arpeggios, the seams are bursting and couples are edging into corners. Butch Cornell's "Sunshine Alley" is a solid, funky groover, paced by organ and double fours by Kaye. Turrentine and Hubbard stride into the melody and keep the vamp in the pocket, riding out past the blues line into a tag that just revs the thing up even further. But the big surprise is in the final track, one of the most solidly swinging, from-the-gut emotional rides of John Coltrane's "Impressions" ever taken. Turrentine is deep inside his horn, ringing out in legato with everything he has — and it is considerable. Ron Carter's bass playing flows through the modal interludes, creating a basis for some beautifully intervallic invention by Benson and Smith by building a series of harmonic bridges through the mode to solos. It's hard to believe this is Turrentine, yet is could be no one else. If jazz fans are interested in Turrentine beyond the Blue Note period — and they should be — this is a heck of a place to listen for satisfaction.

Cduniverse.com:
One of the main weapons in sax legend Stanley Turrentine's arsenal was the knowledge that a real groove requires just the right amount of energy without hitting the listener over the head. That knowledge is put to practical use throughout Turrentine's first recording for CTI, SUGAR. Aided by the subtly soulful organ of Butch Cornell and the smoldering sensuality of George Benson's guitar, Turrentine churned out solidly grooving (though not literally "funk") tunes that employ blues-based economy and bob-schooled chops in equal measure. The fiery trumpet interjections of Freddie Hubbard keep things moving, but Turrentine's mastery of the mid-tempo groove is exemplified throughout, whether on the down-and-dirty jam "Sunshine Alley" or a soulful take on John Coltrane's "Impressions." And don't worry, the music is leagues more tasteful than the questionably raunchy cover art.

Allaboutjazz.com:
With Sugar Stanley Turrentine finally delivered on the promise of his Blue Note albums, which were for the most part unspectacular. Following the standard blueprint of the CTI label, Turrentine runs through a handful of steamy, soul jazz workouts with some veterans from the recently deceased hard bop era as well as some up-and-comers from the next generation of electric jazz. With only three tunes on the record, everyone gets plenty of room to explore and eagerly takes advantage of it. Turrentine plays in great rolling swells like ocean waves, displaying more force and vigor than usual, while Hubbard peels off solos of equal power that simmer rather than boil. Even George Benson (who sounds more like Wes Montgomery than George Benson) shows off his merits as a serious jazz guitarist with some greasy soloing. "Sunshine Alley" adds a bit of funk to the mix, but the real treat here is a run through "Impressions" with everyone playing like there's no tomorrow. This type of music was only made for a few short years and occasionally one can hear hints of the smooth jazz that was on the horizon, particularly with Benson involved.

Seldom does a group of musicians click on all levels and rise into the stratosphere, but this is one such record, a relic from a time when jazz was going through growing pains but still spawning some interesting projects. Turrentine was one of the lucky few who made his crowning achievement during this time.

Personnel:
Stanley Turrentine (tenor saxophone); Freddie Hubbard (trumpet); Hubert Laws (flute); Johnny Hammond (electric piano, organ); Lonnie Liston Smith, Jr. (electric piano); Butch Cornell (organ); George Benson (guitar); Ron Carter (bass); Billy Cobham, Billy Kaye (drums); Richard "Pablo" Landrum (conga); Airto Moreira (percussion).

Recorded between November 1970 and July 1971. Originally released on CTI Records.

Tracks:
1. Sugar
2. Sunshine Alley
3. Impressions
4. Gibraltar

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