Stanley Turrentine's stint with
Creed Taylor's
CTI label may not have produced any out-and-out classics on the level of the very best LPs by
Freddie Hubbard,
Hubert Laws, or
George Benson, but the
bluesy tenorist's output was consistently strong and worthwhile for all but the most stridently anti-
fusion listeners.
Salt Song was
Turrentine's second album for
CTI, and while it's perhaps just a small cut below his debut
Sugar, it's another fine, eclectic outing that falls squarely into the signature
CTI fusion sound: smooth but not slick, accessible but not simplistic. In general, keyboardist
Eumir Deodato's arrangements have plenty of light
funk and Brazilian underpinnings, the latter often courtesy of percussionist
Airto Moreira. The first three cuts are the most memorable, beginning with a ten-minute exploration of the abrupt time signature shifts of
Freddie Hubbard's
"Gibraltar." Though a
hard bop version might have returned to the theme a little less often,
Turrentine's solo sections are full of ideas, befitting one of his favorite pieces of the period; plus, guitarist
Eric Gale shines as both a rhythm and lead player. The
traditional gospel tune
"I Told Jesus" features
Turrentine at his bluesiest and earthiest, with snatches of ethereal choir vocals floating up behind him.
Milton Nascimento's title track, naturally, has the strongest Brazilian flavor of the program, and
Turrentine skillfully negotiates its frequent shifts in and out of double time. All in all,
Salt Song has dated well, partly because the arrangements don't overemphasize electric piano, but work mostly on the strength of
Turrentine's always-soulful playing. [1997's domestic CD reissue included
Nascimento's
"Vera Cruz" as a bonus track, but the Japan version did not.] ~ Steve Huey