January 26, 2016

Stanley Turrentine's 1962 Blue Note Jubilee Shout: Not Released Until 1986

Jubilee Shout review
I have never considered Stanley Turrentine (1934-2000) to be in the upper echelon of saxophonists. Why?

Well, I did not consider him to be a ground breaker as a writer or as an instrumentalist.

like anyone else, I know John Coltrane makes Turrentine seem like an afterthought when you compare the two's critical legacies.

 Other than Charlie Parker, and perhaps Lester Young, who doesn't Coltrane do that to?

I have spent the last few weeks re-accessing Stanley, and there is no doubt, I undervalued his playing and writing.  Jubilee Shout is one of those grossly overlooked records. His larger band stuff like Joy Ride is also very interesting.  I also like his 70's CTI fusion work, Sugar and Salt Song, they are very good records. The track "Minor Chant" from Back at the Chicken Shack sticks out to me as a fine example of Stanley's blues drenched soul jazz playing.



Let's be honest here: I am not the only one who undervalues Turrentine. Lots of stuffy anti soul jazz critics out there who never thought much of the Hammond B-3 players of which Stanley played a lot with, not the least of which was his then wife organist Shirley Scott.

I don't think the Blue Note Label even knew what they had, why else would an album like Jubilee Shout recorded in 1962 not be released until 1986, on the Manhattan Records imprint. How on Earth could an album with Kenny Burrell on guitar, Sonny Clark on piano, Stanley's brother Tommy Turrentine, Al Harewood on drums, and Butch Warren on bass not get a release?

This is  fantastic record: The title track is a gospel/blues Ray Charles style, churchified to the max tune, with a very catchy opening, I'm digging it for sure; Stanley could play some blues now... Then the typical walking bass line struttin' around, with Stanley doing his best blues whaling.

Kenny Burrell also takes a nice turn on his guitar on the title track, I'm a Grant Green guy myself, but Kenny does a great job here, and of course why not, he was one of the best jazz guitarists of all time.

Tommy breaks out a nice hard-toned trumpet solo. He reminds me of Donald Byrd some. "Jubilee Shout" is a great lead off track. Don't hold me to it, but I think Bassist Butch Warren is using a bow during the call and response opening section and during all the reprises there after... and the fade out in fact, with Stanley still blowing his ass off till he disappears into the void. Again, I can not understand how this record took nearly 25 years to be released.


Other than Dexter Gordon, Turrentine is probably my number 2 ballad player. The version of "My Ship" the Ira Gershwin and Kurt Weil standard is clearly a great rendition.

 Another highlight is the nearly 11 minute slow boiling strut of "Cotton Walk", an interesting soul jazz work-out, that again shows Stanley's Jubilant playing style and complete mastery of the blues.

Pianist Sonny Clark always plays well, tasteful, and lightly funky. Unfortunately Jubilee Shout was one of his last recordings, as Sonny passed away from a heart attack less than 3 months after this recording at the age of 31. Clark, like so many, also suffered from a terrible heroin addiction.

 I first heard this fantastic record, along with Mr. Natural and Another Story on the Mosaic Records 5 CD box, one incredible value for the jazz connoisseur. Read more about those 2 records here.


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