Stanley Turrentine Tender Togetherness CD

Personnel: Stanley Turrentine (tenor saxophone); Stanley Turrentine; Dianne Reeves, Lynn Davis , Marlena Jeter, Gwen Matthews (vocals); Roland Bautista (guitar, electric guitar); Nathan East (electric guitar, bass guitar); Don Myrick (alto saxophone); Andrew Woolfolk (tenor saxophone); Mike Harris, Jerry Hey, Rahmlee Michael Davis (trumpet, flugelhorn); David Duke, Sidney Muldrow (French horn); Louis Satterfield (trombone); Bill Reichenbach Jr. (bass trombone); Denzil Miller (piano, electric piano, Fender Rhodes piano, Clavinet); Eduardo del Barrio (piano, electric piano, Fender Rhodes piano); Larry Dunn (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, synthesizer, percussion, background vocals); Pigott Smith, Tom, Jeff Johnson, Jeff Johnson (synthesizer); Byron Miller (bass guitar); Fred White , Steven Dunn (drums, percussion); Leon "Ndugu" Chancler (drums); Ralph Boyd Johnson, Paulinho Da Costa, Ralph Johnson (percussion); Philip Bailey (vocals, percussion, background vocals).
Arrangers: Philip Bailey; Denzil Miller; Eduardo del Barrio; Steven Dunn; Larry Dunn; Leon "Ndugu" Chancler; Roland Bautista ; Byron Miller.
The second of three albums tenor sax man Stanley Turrentine did for Elektra after leaving Fantasy Records, 1981's Tender Togetherness featured an electric jazz-funk hybrid sound that packed a good deal more punch and brightness than its predecessor, 1979's Betcha. Produced by Earth, Wind & Fire's Larry Dunn (EW&F's "After the Love Has Gone" is given a treatment here), and featuring a subtle, almost Latin feel, the album bounces and bubbles along on an almost continuous joyful light R&B groove. Turrentine's sax lines are full of that steady, strong bluesy tone that has become his signature, but this time around he is very much a part of the ensemble, and Tender Togetherness is richer for it, sounding very much like a whole piece of fabric from the opening notes of the bright, airy "Hermanos" to the playful funk of the album closer, "Havin' Fun With Mr. T.," which is set up wonderfully by "Pure Love," a 42-second snippet of Turrentine playing his tenor sax accompanied by only an acoustic piano. Turrentine's heavily arranged and orchestrated crossover work has always seemed somehow weaker than his soul-jazz small combo approach, but Tender Togetherness is as bright as a sunny day on the weekend, making it one of his better fusion hybrids. ~ Steve Leggett