This is another of the Masterworks Jazz reissued discs in honor of the 40th anniversary of Creed Taylor’s CTI label. Turrentine, always a prolific tenor saxophonist, recorded seven discs for CTI between 1970 and 1973; Salt Song was recorded and released in 1971. He’s backed by Ron Carter on Bass, Eric Gale on guitar, Billy Cobham and Airto Moreira on drums and percussion, Horace Parlan, Richard Tee and Eumir Deodato (who also did the arrangements) on keys. It has one bonus track, Milton Nascimento’s “Vera Cruz,” which is in keeping with the the bossa nova/samba feel of the title track, also by Nascimento.
It opens with a swinging hard bop, Freddie Hubbard’s “Gibraltar.” It has a very straightforward arrangement with lots of Gale’s bluesy guitar right up front with Turrentine’s sax, and driving rhythm from Carter, Cobham and Moreira, who adds some tropical percussion touches.
Turrentine’s signature soul sound comes to the fore in the smoldering gospel of “I Told Jesus,” a traditional song arranged by the saxophonist. The chart includes some subtle strings and a female gospel trio.
After an opening bossa section, “Salt Song” breaks into an upbeat, slinky samba that Turrentine’s strong, clear sax floats atop with the melodic line. After dipping back to the string-backed bossa nova arrangement, it finishes with more samba.
After a brief romantic interlude with the Paul Vance ballad “I Haven’t Got Anything Better To Do,” we get the even more overtly Latin jazz of Turrentine’s “Storm.” The sax and guitar double on the melody right out of the gate, with Tee’s organ burbling along on the left and Parlan’s electric piano on the right. If this is a storm, it’s a warm, benign tropical rain shower. It’s actually accompanied by the sounds of a storm near the end of the track. It’s all very smooth, but not slick.
The bonus track originally appeared on the 1971 CTI release Gilberto With Turrentine. It has a big cast of contributing players, including Hubert Laws and others on flute, the Brazilian guitarist Sivuca on acoustic, and several other Brazilian musicians on percussion. The piece leans more on rhythm than melody, and though it has lots of drive, it lacks the drama of both the title track and “Storm.”
This is a solid offering from Mr. T, though, and well worth having for any fan of the West Coast 1970s jazz sound that typifies CTI.
(Masterworks Jazz, 2011)
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