Blue Note Records
2008
Return Of The Prodigal Son
About This Album
Stanley Turrentine is generally pegged as a soul-jazz man but also has proven quite adept in several other styles of modern jazz, as heard on this diverse compilation of tunes from three initially unreleased Blue Note dates with a larger ensemble. While hitting up a handful of the pop tunes of the day, Turrentine shows he is interested in and capable of tackling more modern compositions, with the vibrant and exciting assistance of pianist McCoy Tyner, also not a slouch when soul-jazz is placed in front of him. That Turrentine plays a most enjoyable fluid, tuneful, and tonic tenor saxophone has never been questioned, but what he adds in value as a leader on these tracks further cements his estimable reputation. The distinctive flutes of Joe Farrell and Al Gibbons take flight into the atmosphere on Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Bonita," where the pensive tenor of Turrrentine gives little indication that this piece will end in a warm Brazilian simmer. Tyner is in "full steam ahead" mode for "Pres Delight" (previously mistitled "Flying Jumbo"), an outstanding hard bopper that should be a classic, and deserves to be rediscovered. Joe Sample's "New Time Shuffle" was a hit for the Jazz Crusaders, and gets a full counterpoint horn treatment within a shuffle beat, while the groovy title track is completely identifiable with the big-band super-hip late-'60s soul-jazz movement à la Oliver Nelson and Quincy Jones.
Track List (try tracks 1,3,4,5 and 9)

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