Sugar

Stanley Turrentine (tenor sax), Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), George Benson (guitar), Lonnie Smith (electric piano), Ron Carter (bass) and Billy Kaye (drums). From de album Sugar (1970).

This is the first album that Turrentine recorded with the CTI label after spending a long time with Blue Note Records, and was received with great recognition on its release and subsequent reissues. Turrentine, a soul jazz veteran since the 1950s, is accompanied here by the best groove players. Known for his wide and warm sound, his first influence was the tenor saxophone Illinois Jacquet. An accomplished musician who learned his profession through a variety of experiences, he received his only formal musical training during his military period in the mid-1950s.

He always adapted to the changing landscape of jazz, taking advantage of its enduring and moving sound, and bluesy approach. Jazz critic David Rickert says: “Seldom does a group of musicians click on all levels and rise into the stratosphere, but this is one such record, a relic from a time when jazz was going through growing pains but still spawning some interesting projects. Turrentine was one of the lucky few who made his crowning achievement during this time.”

The theme is a soul blues with a swinging rhythm and a rhythmic section that plays fluidly. It’s nice and catchy, and Hubbard and Turrentine expose it in unison, but the latter adds ornaments. The first one to enter is Turrentine with captivating and suggestive phrases well elaborated and executed. He is followed by Hubbard playing with authority and intensity, introducing unheard of and disconcerting special effects. Next comes Benson with an inventive speech full of slippery and warm arpeggios while Turrentine and Hubbard make a sound mattress beneath. Lastly, the group re-exposes the theme fading out.