Musicians to pay tribute to Turrentine brothers - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

[Dr. Nelson Harrison]

By Bob Karlovits TRIBUNE-REVIEW Thursday, August 14, 2008 For Mike Tomaro and Marty Ashby, paying tribute to the jazz legacies of Stanley and Tommy Turrentine is as natural as having a picnic in the summer. It seems only appropriate they are doing it at a free, late afternoon concert in Highland Park. "Stanley was a huge influence on me," says saxophonist Tomaro, who also is an arranger and head of jazz studies at Duquesne University. "Matter of fact, anyone who plays this instrument owes something to Stanley." He and Ashby are leading Sunday's "Tribute to Stanley and Tommy Turrentine" at the Reservoir of Jazz concerts at Highland Park. It will feature a group of regional jazz stalwarts who have been operating this year as the Pittsburgh Jazz Legacy Project. For this show, however, they are just sitting in to tip their music stands to the brothers who are part of that history. "Stanley had the more robust career," says Ashby, the executive producer for MCG Jazz at the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild in the North Side. He also has acted as the director of the Legacy Project. "But, no, Tommy is not forgotten." Tommy's decision to stay home largely could be the reason for that. They both grew up in the Hill District, and trumpeter Tommy (1928-97) became a bebop blazer, playing in the bands of Benny Carter, Earl Bostic, Charles Mingus, fellow Pittsburgh star Billy Eckstine, Dizzy Gillespie and Count Basie. But he never pushed that career further and stayed in his hometown, while Stanley (1934-2000) became a jazz star with a rhythm-and-blues flavor. In some ways, he was a predecessor to players such as Grover Washington Jr. In the late '70s and early '80s, he lost many fans with over-produced, pop-aimed albums. But he returned to a style that featured his fine improvisational skills in the mid-80s, and reaffirmed his role in jazz. Besides playing in clubs and concerts, Stanley Turrentine also performed here in the jazz ballet "Indigo in Motion" months before his death. "He could hit this altissimo note just above the official range of the tenor that just said 'Stanley,'" Tomaro says. "That's one of those things in jazz. There is no good tone or bad tone, just a personal tone." Walt Harper, the late pianist and club owner, often featured Turrentine at his club and would joke about how "if you can't tell Stanley's playing in four notes, you must be deaf." Ashby and Tomaro, however, both talk about Tommy's skill as a performer and writer, and lament he isn't recalled more. "There is a little difference between the two of them that stands out steadily compositionally," Ashby says. "Stanley is more the R&B guy, and Tommy is more of a bebopper." That likely will show up in selections at the tribute, songs such as Tommy's "Junebug" or Stanley's "Two RBs." Tomaro says he was not much attuned to Tommy Turrentine until he returned to Pittsburgh in 1997, but has become since. "There are a lot of people who listen to his recordings and think he was the better player of the two," he says. Bob Karlovits can be reached at [e-mail] or 412-320-7852.

[Dr. Nelson Harrison]

Tommy TURRENTINE

DISCOGRAPHIE

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Earl Bostic, ??? / CD The EP Collection Vol. 2 / 1952-55

Gay Crosse, "Bittersweet" / "Fat Sam From Birmingham"

Tommy Turrentine (tp), John Coltrane (as), Gay Crosse (ts, voc), Stash O'Laughlin (p), Alvin Jackson (b), Oliver Jackson (dm) / Nashville, 1952

Buddy Rich & Max Roach, Rich Versus Roach, Mercury SR60133

Buddy Rich Quintet : Phil Woods (as), Willie Dennis (tb), John Bunch (p), Phil Leshin (b), Buddy Rich (dm) + Max Roach Quintet : Tommy Turrentine (tp), Julian Priester (tb), Stanley Turrentine (ts), Bobby Boswell (b), Max Roach (dm) - Gigi Gryce (arr) / 7 & 8 avril 1959

Max Roach Quintet, Quiet as It's Kept, Mercury SR60170

Tommy Turrentine (tp), Julian Priester (tb), Stanley Turrentine (ts), Bobby Boswell (b), Max Roach (dm) / 21 juillet 1959

Max Roach Quintet, Moon-Faced And Starry-Eyed, Mercury SR60215

Tommy Turrentine (tp), Julian Priester (tb), Stanley Turrentine (ts), Ray Bryant (p), Bobby Boswell (b), Max Roach (dm) + Abbey Lincoln (voc) / 9 + 10 octobre 1959

Abbey Lincoln, Abbey Is Blue, Riverside 1153 / OJC 069

Abbey Lincoln (voc), Tommy Turrentine (tp), Stanley Turrentine (ts), Phil Wright (p), Bob Boswell (b), Max Roach (dm) / Fin 1959 (3 titres)

Tommy Turrentine, Tommy Turrentine, Bethlehem

Tommy Turrentine (tp), Julian Priester (tb), Stanley Turrentine (ts), Horace Parlan (p), Bob Boswell (b), Max Roach (dm) / 19 janvier 1960

Max Roach Quintet, Long As You Are Living, Enja 4074-2

Tommy Turrentine (tp), Julian Priester (tb), Stanley Turrentine (ts), Bobby Boswell (b), Max Roach (dm) / Live, Allemagne, 5 février 1960

Max Roach Quintet, Parisian Sketches, Mercury SR60760

Tommy Turrentine (tp), Julian Priester (tb), Stanley Turrentine (ts), Bobby Boswell (b), Max Roach (dm) / Barclay Studios, Paris, 1 mars 1960

Paul Chambers, 1st Bassman, Vee-Jay

Tommy Turrentine (tp), Yusef Lateef (ts), Curtis Fuller (tb), Wynton Kelly (p), Paul Chambers (b), Lex Humphries (dm) / 12 mai 1960

Booker Ervin, The Book Cooks, Bethlehem

Tommy Turrentine (tp), Booker Ervin (ts), Zoot Sims (ts), Tommy Flanagan (p), Geroge Tucker (b), Dannie Richmond (dm) / Juin 1960

Horace Parlan, Speakin' My Piece, Blue Note BST-84043

Tommy Turrentine (tp), Stanley Turrentine (ts), Horace Parlan (p), George Tucker (b), Al Harewood (dm) / 16 juillet 1960

Stanley Turrentine, Comin' Your Way, Blue Note CD 7 84065 2

Tommy Turrentine (tp), Stanley Turrentine (ts), Horace Parlan (p), George Tucker (b), Al Harewood (dm) / 20 janvier 1961

Horace Parlan, On The Spur of The Moment, Blue Note BST-84074 / Connoisseur CD Series 21735

Tommy Turrentine (tp), Stanley Turrentine (ts), Horace Parlan (p), George Tucker (b), Al Harewood (dm) / 18 mars 1961

Jackie McLean, A Fickle Sonance, Blue Note BST-84089 / CD RVG 24544

Tommy Turrentine (tp), Jackie McLean (as), Sonny Clark (p), Butch Warren (b), Billy Higgins (dm) / 26 octobre 1961

Sonny Clark, Leapin' And Lopin', Blue Note BST-84091 / CD 7 84091 2

Tommy Turrentine (tp), Charlie Rouse (ts), Sonny Clark (p), Butch Warren (b), Billy Higgins (dm) / 13 novembre 1961

Dexter Gordon, Landslide, Blue Note LT-1051 (3 titres seulement)

Tommy Turrentine (tp), Dexter Gordon (ts), Sir Charles Thompson (p), Al Lucas (b), Willie Bobo (dm) / 5 mai 1962

Lou Donaldson, The Natural Soul, Blue Note BST-84108

Tommy Turrentine (tp), Lou Donaldson (as), John Patton (org), Grant Green (g), Ben Dixon (dm) / 9 mai 1962

Stanley Turrentine, Jubilee Shout, Blue Note BST-84122

Tommy Turrentine (tp), Stanley Turrentine (ts), Kenny Burrell (g), Sonny Clark (p), Butch Warren (b), Al Harewood (dm) / 18 octobre 1962

John Patton, Blue John, Blue Note BST-84143

Tommy Turrentine (tp), George Braith (ss, stritch), John Patton (org), Grant Green (g), Ben Dixon (dm) / 11 juillet + 2 aout 1963

Archie Shepp, Mama Too Tight, Impulse! AS-9134 / IMP 12482

Archie Shepp (ts), Perry Robinson (cl), Tommy Turrentine (tp), Grachan Moncur III (tb), Roswell Rudd (tb), Howard Johnson (tub), Charlie Haden (b), Beaver Harris (dm) / 19 aout 1966

Stanley Turrentine, Have You Ever Seen The Rain, Fantasy

Tommy Turrentine (tp), Stanley Turrentine (ts)... / 07-1975

Stanley Turrentine, The Man with the Sad Face, Baindbridge

Tommy Turrentine (tp), Stanley Turrentine (ts)... / 25-08 + 28-09-1976

Philly Joe Jones, Mean What You Say, Sonet

Tommy Turrentine (tp), Charles Bowen (ss, ts), Mickey Tucker (p), Mickey Bass (b), Philly Joe Jones (dm) / 04-1977

Sun Ra, Somewhere Else, Rounder Records 3036

Sun Ra (p, syn), Fred Adams, Tommy Turrentine, Ahmed Abdullah (tp), Al Evans (flg, frh), Tyrone Hill, Julian Priester (tb), Marshall Allen (as, fl, ob, cl in A), Noel Scott (as, per), John Gilmore (ts, cl, perc), Danny Ray Thompson (bs, fl, bgo), Eloe Omoe (bcl, as, contra-alto cl, perc), James Jacson (bsn, fl, perc), Bruce Edwards (g) Carl LeBlanc (g), John Ore (b), Billy Higgins (dm), Earl "Buster" Smith (dm), Elson Nascimento (perc) / New York, 5-12-1988 (1 titre)

Sun Ra, Blue Delight, A&M 5260

Sun Ra (p, syn), Fred Adams, Tommy Turrentine, Ahmed Abdullah (tp), Al Evans (flg, frh), Tyrone Hill, Julian Priester (tb), Marshall Allen (as, fl, ob, cl in A), Noel Scott (as, per), John Gilmore (ts, cl, perc), Danny Ray Thompson (bs, fl, bgo), Eloe Omoe (bcl, as, contra-alto cl, perc), James Jacson (bsn, fl, perc), Bruce Edwards (g) Carl LeBlanc (g), John Ore (b), Billy Higgins (dm), Earl "Buster" Smith (dm), Elson Nascimento (perc) / New York, 5-12-1988

A voir également :

The Complete Mercury Max Roach Plus Four Sessions, Mosaic MD7-201

The Complete Blue Note Horace Parlan Sessions, Mosaic MD5-197

Dexter Gordon, The Complete Blue Note Sixties Sessions, Blue Note 34200

© Vincent Bessières
Avril 2001

[Muddy Kreek Blues Band]

I once had a neighbor who played with both Stanley and Tommy, I was living in Homested at the time. I can only repect what I here and what you can tell me about these great men of our town, Cause I did not know them, but there music has a lasting impact on all of us...
Muddy kreek

[DR. LEO CASINO]

My brother we can agree to disagree, I still respect you and remember when you played at our high school, Fifth Avenue. I live in Florida and I saw how our people drowned in New Orleans, standing on roofs crying out for help. How can we help people around the world and not help our own ?

I think I will write a song about that.

[SOUTHSIDE JERRY MELLIX]

I too performed with Marvin, back in the late 60's or perhaps it was the early 70's. I agree with you Nelson, his situation was tragic.
However, I don't agree with the posted comment about "this damn government" making anyone a killer. I too am a Viet Nam vet and respect everyones opinion about this great country of ours..... as imperfect as it is. But more than that, I'm proud to have had the honor to serve and had the chance to help to be ready to defend all of the rights and freedoms we enjoy today.
To get back to the subject of this blog......I too owe a lot to Stanley Turrentine. Even though I had a chance to meet him, I never had the pleasrue to know him, as well as I did Marvin. Stanley and many, many other lesser known players were 'sax' roll models for me. I may not remember all of their names, anymore. But I'll never forget them!!!

[Dr. Nelson Harrison]

Yes I remember Marvin well. Very tragic what is done to the best & brightest.

[DR. LEO CASINO]

He was friend, a good brother,tough but caring. After Viet Nam he came home not the same. He was bitter, and it broke my heart when I heard he ODed. That is why I get upset when musicians say don't speak up about injustice or seem political but how can we not ?

My brother Marvin you are not forgotten, you were a musician but this damn government made you a killer.

[DR. LEO CASINO]

Stanley and Tommy had a youngewr brother, Marvin, who played drums. We played togetrher beforew he was drafted to the Viet Nam war. Many havew forgottern him,but

[Dr. Nelson Harrison]

Tommy did not stay in Pittsburgh. He moved to NYC and only came back for a few months in the early 70s.