Stanley Turrentine (1934-2000) had a big, full, bossy sound on the tenor saxophone—less sassy than, say, Gene Ammons, but smokier with a strong, soulful attack. He was at his best when paired with pianist Horace Parlan or his wife, organist Shirley Scott. In the following three videos, we get a sense of Turrentine's soul-jazz feel and his confident articulation:
Here's Turrentine in the mid-1980s playing Stevie Wonder's Creepin'...
Here's Turrentine in 1990 performing Sugar...
And here's Turrentine in 1997 performing Just the Way You Look Tonight...
Here's Turrentine in the mid-1980s playing Stevie Wonder's Creepin'...
Here's Turrentine in 1990 performing Sugar...
And here's Turrentine in 1997 performing Just the Way You Look Tonight...
This story appears courtesy of JazzWax by Marc Myers.
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