Stanley Turrentine
Dearly Beloved
(Blue Note 15363)

Stellar album from T in '61, blowin' pure 'n' bluesy with his lady Shirley Scott (quaintly uncredited on the original release) and drummer Roy Brooks. Just a great set all around … passionate yet mellow, sparse yet full, smoky yet churchy, in-command yet inviting. The players are totally in-sync, yet as with pretty much every Turrentine album, it never boils over. And as with most of his recordings with Scott, there's just somethin' special happenin'.

Wonderful, seriously underrated stuff. For my money, it's one of the great early 60s Blue Notes, before things got all Sidewinder-y. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Special kudos to the fuckos out there who can appreciate a co-mingled Blue Note/Seinfeld joke … both of you.

Review by Kissing Brother