Stanley Turrentine

Mr. Natural was recorded by Stanley Turrentine on 4 September 1964 and first released by Blue Note in 1980, in the LT series. It is a standout in his large sixties catalogue for the company, with the soulful tenor at the head of a modern group. In the rhythm section are McCoy Tyner and Elvin Jones, at the time the piano and drums of the John Coltrane quartet.

Turrentine had already led twelve dates for the label, from his hard bop debut Look Out! in 1960 to the soul jazz of Hustlin', recorded in January 1964. That autumn he was back in Rudy Van Gelder's Englewood Cliffs studio with Lee Morgan on trumpet, Bob Cranshaw on bass, Tyner and Jones. Ray Barretto adds congas to the first three tracks. Alfred Lion produced the original session.

The opener, credited on the 1980 LP as Stanley's Blues, is in fact Duke Pearson's Wahoo, and the band stretches out on it over Barretto's congas and Jones's rolling drums. Shirley, a tender Turrentine original, is dedicated to his then-wife, the organist Shirley Scott. Morgan's jaunty Tacos keeps the Latin colour going. Without the trumpet, Turrentine plays the standard My Girl Is Just Enough Woman for Me as a brightly swinging quartet piece. The album closes with a version of Can't Buy Me Love by The Beatles.

The 1980 release was prepared by Michael Cuscuna, with sleeve notes by Michael Rozek. In his AllMusic review Ken Dryden described it as a rewarding session, well worth seeking out.

This stereo Tone Poet edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio from the original analogue master tapes. It is pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI and packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket.