Bad vocals and lyrics detract from good new music
robert gravatt | Washington, DC | 12/25/1999
(2 out of 5 stars)
"Three vocal tracks featuring an unknown vocalist plus a long repetitive and boring instrumental track (worth skipping) doesn't make an above average album for any sax player. I bought this album because I enjoyed "T Time" and wanted more new music from Mr. T. I would say that "T Time" is a 4 or 5 star record. Portions of "Do You Have Any Sugar?" are very good, but four tracks are worth skipping. Both "contemporary ballads" (#'s 5,7) are poor musically and lyrically. They both start with Niki Who? singing trite lyrics to R&B. You wouldn't know that they were Stanley Turrentine's music except that he appends on his sax playing after she's done. The title track (#2) is musically very good but the lyrics are bad. Niki Who? interjects during excellent sax playing first with talking and later singing: "Do you have any sugar? Would you be my sugar baby? ..." This is unfortunate. A good lyrical guitar lead would make this a great instrumental track. Track #8 "Back in the Day" is simplistic and repetitive as well as too long. After one or two listenings you'll want to skip over it. It's really just a forum to provide feature sections of Stanley's accompaning musicans (piano, trombone, etc.) Without the four aforementioned tracks, this could be a 4 or 5 star record. "Monte Cristo" is excellent and played on DMX. "Stuff You Gotta Watch" with Rick Braun is interesting nouveau retro 1960's music. The rest of the album is very good and features Turrentine's timeless great sax playing. Buy this album if you got to have new Mr. T but keep in mind you're not getting a full CD's worth."
Stanley Turrentine's got a fresh, new CD for the nineties!
robert gravatt | 06/25/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The Stanley Turrentine fan from Arizona is right about wearing out his CTI album "Sugar" from 1974. Your not alone, I did the same thing. That album made musical history and certainly established Creed Taylor's record label (CTI) along with a stable of great artists. The names on that label read like the who's who in jazz. George Benson, Freddie Hubbard,Joe Farrell, Hubert Laws;and of course, Stanley Turrentine, to name a few. Many of these artists have continued on with great success. however, the album you reviewed titled, Do You Have Any Sugar? is not a re-issue but rather a new release from Concord Vista. Check it out for real!I think it deserve's to be heard! you'll find the Turrentine sound and phrasing that has made him one of the greatest tenor sax men ever. Now the good news for us is he's got a fresh, new CD for the 90's."