Stanley Turrentine & The Three Sounds - Blue Hour: The Complete Sessions (1960/2000)

Stanley Turrentine & the Three Sounds were initially featured together on an album called Blue Hour, which was a very relaxed and bluesy release. The spaciousness of "I Want a Little Girl" makes the listener savor every note, while "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You" is played with an almost identical tempo and feeling. Gene Harris' "Blue Riff" picks up the pace a good bit, before "Since I Fell for You" and "Willow Weep for Me" once again slow the proceedings back to a late-night feeling. Turrentine's tenor sax is in top form, while Harris is the consummate blues pianist in his supporting role. After the first CD reissue of Blue Hour went out of print, it was expanded into a two-CD set by Blue Note, with eight new unissued or alternate takes added on the second disc. It is apparent right away that the original producer Alfred Lion was correct in withholding most of these recordings from release. As well as Turrentine plays during "Blues in the Closet," the rhythm section seems a bit stiff. Harris' piano is too much in the background on "Just in Time," while the pianist's composition "Blue Hour" doesn't seem to be fully formed as a blues vehicle. "Strike Up the Band" is the one truly up-tempo recording present on this release, but probably wasn't issued previously because it is faded prematurely and it was so different from the producer's concept for the originally conceived release. Regardless, since both Stanley Turrentine and Gene Harris passed away within a year of each other in 2000, having additional music made available featuring these two fine musicians is most welcome.

Tracks:

CD1
01. I Want A Little Girl
02. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
03. Blue Riff
04. Since I Fell For You
05. Willow Weep For Me

CD2
01. Blues In The Closet
02. Just In Time
03. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You (alt tk)
04. Where or When
05. Blue Hour
06. There Is No Greater Love
07. Alone Together
08. Strike Up The Band

Personnel:

Stanley Turrentine (tenor saxophone)
Gene Harris (piano)
Andrew Simpkins (bass)
Bill Dowdy (drums)