Steve Turré: Delicious And Delightful (2010)

GLENN ASTARITA,

Glenn Astarita

Senior Contributor since 1997

Longtime contributor to AAJ and Downbeat, Jazz Review, EjazzNews, Radio DirectX.

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Published: February 12, 2011

Track review of "Light Within"

Trombonist Steve Turré is a renowned jazzman. An educator and member of the Saturday Night Live band, the artist has released several solo outings amid a legacy that includes first- call session stints with jazz, Latin and pop notables. On Delicious and Delightful, Turré treads along a rather clement path consisting of medium-tempo pieces and ballads. He also multitasks when toggling between the trombone and conch shells. The opener and embryonic piece "Light Within," is a composition by venerable tenor saxophonist Billy Harper Billy Harper
b.1943
saxophone .

On "Light Within," Turré's shells work imparts a calming factor that contrasts the radiant horn choruses embedded within the peppery Latin-jazz pulse. Here, the band proclaims good cheer, spiced with a fire and brimstone midsection, where Harper fuses a torrid, yet spirited storyline with a few nods to the free zone. The saxophonist circles back to the mainstream, as Turré and pianist Larry Willis Larry Willis
b.1942
piano continue to expand the primary theme with mood-evoking slants and a buoyant demeanor. The musicians strike a synchronous chord, encompassing harmonious theme- building with vibrant improvisation and tender subtleties.