Artist: Stanley Turentine

Stanley Turrentine was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and record producer. He began his career playing R&B for Earl Bostic,  and later soul jazz recording for the Blue Note label from 1960. 

In the 1960s Turrentine was married to organist  Shirley Scott, with whom he frequently recorded, and he was the younger brother of trumpeter Tommy Turrentine, with whom he also recorded. 

Turrentine was born in Pittsburgh's Hill District, United States, into a musical family. His father, Thomas Turrentine Sr., was a saxophonist with Al Cooper's  Savoy Sultans, his mother played stride piano, and his older brother Tommy Turrentine was a trumpet player. 

He began his prolific career with blues and rhythm and blues bands and was at first greatly influenced by Illinois Jacquet.  He first toured with Lowell Fulson's band in 1951, at 17, and in 1953 Earl Bostic  asked him to join his band, replacing John Coltrane. He also played in groups led by the pianist and composer  Tadd Dameron. 

Turrentine received his only formal musical training during his military stint in the mid-1950s. In 1959, he left the military and went straight into the band of the drummer Max Roach. In the 1960s, he started working with organist Jimmy Smith, and made many soul jazz recordings both with Smith and as a leader. 

Turrentine turned to jazz fusion and signed for Creed Taylor's CTI label. His first album for CTI, Sugar, recorded in 1970, proved one of his biggest successes and a seminal recording for the label,  closely followed by Don't Mess with Mister T. (1971). He worked with Freddie Hubbard, Milt Jackson,  George Benson, Bob James,  Richard Tee, Idris Muhammad, Ron Carter, Grant Green and Eric Gale. He returned to soul jazz in the 1980s and into the 1990s. 

Further information about Stanley Turentine is found here and here.