Stanley Turrentine - Mr. Natural - 180g Vinyl LP

April 2023

Stanley Turrentine's 1964 recording Mr. Natural featured the soulful tenor saxophonist and Blue Note stalwart at the helm of a cutting-edge modern jazz group with Lee Morgan on trumpet, McCoy Tyner on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, Elvin Jones on drums, and Ray Barretto on congas for three songs.

This stereo Tone Poet Vinyl Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket.

Musicians

Stanley Turrentine tenor saxophone

McCoy Tyner piano

Ray Barretto congas

Lee Morgan trumpet

Elvin Jones drums

Corky Hale harp

Bob Cranshaw bass

Stanley Turrentine's supporting cast is a strong one, including Lee Morgan, McCoy Tyner, Bob Cranshaw, Elvin Jones, and Ray Barretto. The leader's "Stanley's Blues" is a modal blues with a slight Latin flavor from Barretto's congas, while "Shirley" is a sauntering bossa nova. Morgan contributed the upbeat Latin blues "Tacos," while Turrentine reaches his peak as a soloist on the somewhat obscure song "My Girl is Just Enough for Me" (written by Dorothy Fields). But the biggest surprise is Turrentine's driving arrangement of the Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love"; unlike many lukewarm jazz covers of their mid-1960s hits, the tenor saxophonist completes its transformation into a very viable jazz vehicle. Although long out of print and an unlikely candidate to be reissued on CD, this rewarding session is well worth seeking, even if Blue Note founder Alfred Lion had second thoughts about it and set it aside.

Ken Dryden AMG