Tommy Turrentine (SACD)

 

Music: B+   PCM CD: B   DSD Stereo: B+   DSD Multi-Channel: N/A   Extras: C

 

 

Tommy Turrentine only recorded one solo project outside of his usual gig with the Max Roach group.  That album was released in 1960, which few expected to be his only solo project, but health issues would force him into early retirement.  Here we have him with other members from Roach’s quintet including his brother Stanley, who would go onto a very promising future.  The rest of the group comprised of Trombonist Julian Priester, bassist Bob Boswell, pianist Horace Parlan, and Max Roach on drums. 

 

It is somewhat hard to place this record into some sort of context since it compares to very little in terms of Turrentine’s career.  The trumpeter demonstrates some serious material with this album contributing on five of the seven tracks.  Up until this point his music was never highlighted as it is here.

 

Released onto the SACD format, Turrentine’s music sounds like never before.  Unlike the basic CD format the sound was always reduced to a more compressed feeling, which limited the range of the instruments.  Now, the trumpet is showcased penetrating the mix with sheer grace, while the other instruments remain accurately in tact in the background. 

 

This is a fine Hybrid Stereo SACD offering CD tracks to listen to in traditional CD players as well as the DSD stereo tracks for in SACD-ready players.  Both sound mono in nature, which is fine considering that the music was designed with a mono mindframe to begin with.  In many ways this SACD sounds similar to the Mobile Fidelity SACD of Sonny Rollins, but does not quite have the range of that disc.  There seems to be less compression with that disc, which allows for a fuller range.  Here we have a nicely recorded session, but when the levels are turned up there is a slight amount of clarity loss and some minor hiss. 

 

Track Listing

 

Gunga Din

Webb City

Time’s Up

Long As You’re Living

Too Clean

Two, Three, One, Oh!

Blues For J.P.

 

Jazz and Bop fans certainly are well aware of this classic recording, but this SACD makes this a must-have even more so.  Turrentine’s music is become less familiar simply because of the fact that this one recording circulates, but very few match the name to the music.  SACD is a great format that is starting to make all the right moves. Now that there is the backwards compatibility it tops the DVD-Audio format as well as the DTS CD’s even if all three formats were equal in sound quality.  SACD has more accessibility and the recordings sound more natural and can yield better results in terms of overall coherence.  This SACD of Tommy Turrentine is of no exception!

 

 

-   Nate Goss