Stanley Turrentine / Salt Song

AllMusic Review by Steve Huey  [-]

Stanley Turrentine's stint with Creed Taylor's CTI label may not have produced any out-and-out classics on the level of the very best LPs by Freddie Hubbard, Hubert Laws, or George Benson, but the bluesy tenorist's output was consistently strong and worthwhile for all but the most stridently anti-fusion listeners. Salt Song was Turrentine's second album for CTI, and while it's perhaps just a small cut below his debut Sugar, it's another fine, eclectic outing that falls squarely into the signature CTI fusion sound: smooth but not slick, accessible but not simplistic. In general, keyboardist Eumir Deodato's arrangements have plenty of light funk and Brazilian underpinnings, the latter often courtesy of percussionist Airto Moreira. The first three cuts are the most memorable, beginning with a ten-minute exploration of the abrupt time signature shifts of Freddie Hubbard's "Gibraltar." Though a hard bop version might have returned to the theme a little less often, Turrentine's solo sections are full of ideas, befitting one of his favorite pieces of the period; plus, guitarist Eric Gale shines as both a rhythm and lead player. The traditional gospel tune "I Told Jesus" features Turrentine at his bluesiest and earthiest, with snatches of ethereal choir vocals floating up behind him. Milton Nascimento's title track, naturally, has the strongest Brazilian flavor of the program, and Turrentine skillfully negotiates its frequent shifts in and out of double time. The 1997 CD reissue also includes Nascimento's "Vera Cruz" as a bonus track. All in all, Salt Song has dated well, partly because the arrangements don't overemphasize electric piano, but mostly on the strength of Turrentine's always-soulful playing.

Stanley Turrentin / Salt Song 


Salt Song is an album by jazz saxophonist Stanley Turrentine recorded for the CTI Notelabel featuring performances by Turrentine with an orchestra arranged by Eumir Deodato.^[1]The CD rerelease added another track.

Originally released on CTI Records 1971 CD Version released 2003 Recorded: July 7 & 13 & April 23, 1971 at Englewood Cliffs, NJ

Track listing 

1 Gibraltar (Freddie Hubbard) 2 I Told Jesus (trad) 10:22 3 Salt Song (Milton Nascimento) 18:04 4 I Haven't Got Anything Better to Do (Pockriss, Vance) 25:21 5 Storm 29:59 Bonus Track: 6 Vera Cruz (Nascimento) 37:35

 

Personnel 

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• Stanley Turrentine - tenor saxophone
• Eumir Deodato - electric piano, arranger, conductor
• Ron Carter - bass
• Airto Moreira - drums, percussion
• Horace Parlan, Richard Tee - piano, electric piano, organ (tracks 1-5)
• Eric Gale - electric guitar (tracks 1-5)
• Billy Cobham - drums (tracks 1-5)
• Julius Brand, Paul Gershman, Julius Held, Leo Kahn, Harry Katzman, Joe Malin - violin (tracks 2-5)
• Harold Coletta - viola (tracks 2-5)
• Charles McCracken, Alan Shulman - cello (tracks 2-5)
• Hubert Laws, George Marge, Romeo Penque, Jerome Richardson - flute (track 6)
• Sivuca - guitar (track 6)
• Russell George - bass (track 6)
• Joao Palma, Dom Um Romão - drums, percussion (track 6)
• Margaret Branch, Brenda Bryant, Patsy Smith - vocals (tracks 2 & 5)

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