Search - Stanley Turrentine :: Salt Song

Not As Advertised But Still Great

Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 05/05/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"WARNING: Except for the much lower price, I don't know why amazon peddles this as a new release. Salt Song Limited Edition 2008 turns out to be almost exactly the same as the previous limited edition, the only difference besides the price being a new barcode label slapped over the old one.

When this edition first appeared here and in my amazon recommendations, there was no posted product information so I could not compare it with what I already had. I expected some new tracks and the price made it a cheap gamble. I lost the bet, but someone else will gain as they will receive my extra copy as a gift. But now that there is posted information, it will be readily apparent to any other mark that there is nothing new to be heard.

Now I'll get down to the music. Salt Song was not only my introduction to Stanley Turrentine back in the mid-1970s, it was an album that sparked in me a still-burning interest in jazz in general. Many purists scoff at the CTI releases, but those records brought many people to jazz who may otherwise have never become interested. CTI recordings were nothing like some of today's lame "smooth jazz" offerings, in contrast they were chock-full of some of the greatest jazz musicians of that age and provided neophytes with a musical bridge from rock and roll to some of the more traditional and even avant-garde styles.

I still hear Salt Song with much the same delight I experienced on my first listen. To me, the best songs are Gibraltar, the title cut, and Storm. I Told Jesus is a little jivey for me but I never skip it. The other two cuts, one of which is the "bonus", are enjoyable as well but aren't as attention-grabbing as my favorites. Salt Song may not be Turrentine's best, but its a lot better than ninety percent of the music on the market!

For the price, there should be no complaints at all but I am still a little annoyed that I was misled into getting something I already had. By all means, I recommend this CD, just don't get the idea there is anything extra on this if you already happen to own an earlier edition."

Top Notch Everything

Rob Keil | San Francisco | 11/27/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This music is beautiful, interesting, even a bit challenging to listen to because there is so much going on in these tracks. Turrentine is in top form here, playing with great confidence and feeling throughout. You definitely feel as if he's singing through his horn. The arrangements by Eumir Deodato are superb and varied (the man is simply a genius), and played by top-notch session players like Ron Carter, Airto Moierera, and Billy Cobham, each of whom is a superstar in their own right. This disc is a great journey through great melodies, layers of rhythm, and superb playing that you hope won't end. But that's why you have a "repeat" button on your remote."

Salt song by stanley turrentine

John R. Miller | usa | 08/19/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"i have been a jazz fan for over fifty years. i have always prided myself in being able to know good jazz.i go back with Stanley since the late fifties. To me he has always demonstrated excellent abilities as a tenor sax man.the album sugar is certainly a reflection of this."