Do You Have Any Sugar?

Performer: Stanley Turrentine
Artist: Joe Sample; Ray Brown; Rick Braun; Harvey Mason; Greg Phillinganes
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Stanley Turrentine (tenor saxophone); Niki Harris (vocals); Mike Miller (guitar); Rick Braun (trumpet); Andy Martin (trombone); Kei Akagi, Joe Sample (piano); Steven Boyd, Greg Phillinganes (keyboards); Ray Brown, Abe Laboriel (bass); Harvey Mason (drums, percussion, drum programming); Alex Acuna (percussion). Stanley Turrentine still has a sweeter sound than any other saxophonist, even at the age of 65. It's a joy to hear him play, even when the material is a little faceless and the sound is a little too smooth, as it is on Do You Have Any Sugar? Since Turrentine is a fine musician, there are moments to cherish scattered throughout the record -- the spare, soulful ballad "Far Too Little Love" or the R&B groove of "Back in the Day" or the bluesy "2 RBs," for instance -- but it often veers too close to smooth jazz territory, especially when vocalist Niki Harris takes the center stage; she is a fine vocalist, but the style of the music becomes too close to crossover jazz whenever she's on the scene. And that's the main problem with Do You Have Any Sugar?: Every time it begins to recall prime-period Turrentine, it drifts away into glossy urban crossover jazz. Aficionados will delight in certain phrases he turns out -- he remains an excellent saxophonist, after all -- but the album overall makes little impact. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine possesses a big, slightly raw tone, and a powerful sense of swing, but is also quite at home with subtle expressions of tenderness. He achieved considerable success in the '60s working live and recording with Jimmy Smith and later, Shirley Scott. Together, they provided some of the finest examples of the tenor/organ soul-funk-jazz approach.

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.25