Stanley Turrentine

Stanley William Turrentine, nicknamed Mr. T<ref name=nprmrt/> (April 5, 1934 – September 12, 2000)<ref name="Post-Gazette Obituary"/> was an American Grammy nominated jazz tenor saxophonist and record producer. He began his career playing R&B for Earl Bostic and later soul jazz recording for the Blue Note label from 1960, touching on jazz fusion during a stint on CTI in the 1970s.<ref name=Grammy /><ref name="Telegraphobit">Template:Cite newsTemplate:Cbignore</ref> He was described by critic Steve Huey as "renowned for his distinctively thick, rippling tone [and] earthy grounding in the blues."<ref name="Huey">Template:Cite web</ref> In the 1960s Turrentine was married to organist Shirley Scott, with whom he frequently recorded, and he was the younger brother of trumpeter Tommy Turrentine, with whom he also recorded.<ref name=nprmrt/>

Turrentine at Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society, Half Moon Bay, California, August 13, 1989

Biography

Turrentine was born in Pittsburgh's Hill District, Pennsylvania, United States, and was raised at 908 Bryn Mawr Road, Pittsburgh, in the third-floor apartment,<ref name="Post-Gazette Obituary"/> into a musical family. His father, Thomas Turrentine Sr., was a saxophonist with Al Cooper's Savoy Sultans,<ref name="Larkin">Template:Cite book</ref> his mother played stride piano, and his older brother Tommy Turrentine was a trumpet player.<ref name=nprmrt/>

He began his prolific career with blues and rhythm and blues bands, and was at first greatly influenced by Illinois Jacquet.<ref name=nprmrt/> He first toured with Lowell Fulson's band in 1951, at the age of 17,<ref name=nprmrt>NPR's 'Jazz Profiles': "Stanley Turrentine: Saxophone 'Sugar Man'." NPR. Retrieved December 7, 2022.</ref> and in 1953 Earl Bostic asked him to join his band, replacing John Coltrane.<ref name=nprmrt/> Turrentine also played in groups led by the pianist and composer Tadd Dameron.<ref name="Telegraphobit"/>

Turrentine received his only formal musical training during his military stint in the mid-1950s. In 1959, he left the military and went straight into the band of the drummer Max Roach.<ref name="Larkin"/>

He married the organist Shirley Scott in 1960 and the two frequently played and recorded together.<ref name="Larkin"/> In the 1960s, he started working with organist Jimmy Smith, and made many soul jazz recordings both with Smith and as a leader.<ref name="Larkin"/> Scott and Turrentine divorced in 1971.

Turrentine turned to jazz fusion and signed for Creed Taylor's CTI label.<ref name="Telegraphobit"/> His first album for CTI, Sugar, recorded in 1970, proved one of his biggest successes and a seminal recording for the label,<ref name="Larkin"/> closely followed by Don't Mess with Mister T. (1973). He worked with Freddie Hubbard, Milt Jackson, George Benson, Bob James, Richard Tee, Idris Muhammad, Ron Carter, Grant Green and Eric Gale. He returned to playing soul jazz in the 1980s, into the 1990s.

Turrentine lived in Fort Washington, Maryland, from the early 1990s until his death.

He died of a stroke in New York City on September 12, 2000, aged 66, and was buried in Pittsburgh's Allegheny Cemetery.<ref name="Post-Gazette Obituary">Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref>

Accolades

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Turrentine has received a total of three nominations.<ref name=Grammy>Template:Cite web</ref>

Year	Category	Nominated work	Result
1976	Best R&B Instrumental Performance	"Hope That We Can Be Together Soon (Single)"	Template:Nom
1979	Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal Or Instrumental	Betcha (Album)	Template:Nom
1987	Best R&B Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group Or Soloist)	"Boogie On Reggae Woman (Track)"	Template:Nom

External links

• Template:Imdb name
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• Stanley Turrentine at Hard Bop, accessed March 23, 2011
• Stanley Turrentine biography at All About Jazz accessed January 6, 2010