Pittsburgh-born saxophonist Stanley Turrentine’s album *In Memory Of* is getting a new reissue as part of the Blue Note Tone Poet Series. Originally recorded in 1964, the album wasn’t released until 1979. It features Turrentine alongside jazz greats like Herbie Hancock, Blue Mitchell, Bob Cranshaw, Curtis Fuller, and Otis Finch. The six tracks were recorded on June 3, 1964, at the Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
*In Memory Of* includes covers of songs by Wes Montgomery, Bobby Benson, and Bill Lee. The album was produced by Alfred Lion and engineered by Rudy Van Gelder. This release is just one of many sessions Turrentine recorded in 1964, often collaborating with organists Jimmy Smith and Shirley Scott, who was his wife from 1960 to 1971. Turrentine continued to perform until the late 1990s, focusing on soul-jazz fusion before he passed away in 2000.
This reissue is the latest addition to the Blue Note Tone Poet Series, which started in 2019. Joe Harley, the producer known as the “Tone Poet,” carefully selects each record for reissue. Other Turrentine albums in the series include *That’s Where It’s At*, *Rough ‘N Tumble*, *Comin’ Your Way*, and *Mr. Natural*. Recent artists featured in the series include Chet Baker, Duke Ellington, Bobby Hutcherson, Dexter Gordon, Hank Mobley, and Baby Face Willette.
You can shop for Stanley Turrentine’s music on vinyl now!
