1960 · Album
Comin’ Your Way
Recorded 1960 · Blue Note · Personnel: Stanley Turrentine (tenor saxophone), Tommy Turrentine (trumpet), Horace Parlan (piano), George Tucker (bass), Al Harewood (drums)
Soul-Jazz Warmth in a Shifting Landscape
A sumptuous soul-jazz date that showed Turrentine's gift for honest, swinging ballads and blues.
Comin' Your Way arrived during a period when soul-jazz was solidifying itself as a distinct flavor within the broader jazz tent — not quite hard bop, not quite funk, but deeply rooted in blues feeling and organ-trio grooves. The album didn't announce itself as a major statement, yet AllMusic reviewer Ron Wynn later recognized it as exactly what it was: a sumptuous soul-jazz session that caught Turrentine in his element, playing the kind of material that suited his tone and phrasing.
What makes this record work is the chemistry between the horns and the rhythm section. Horace Parlan on piano provides that bluesy, percussive touch that defines the soul-jazz pocket, while George Tucker and Al Harewood anchor the groove with the kind of lockstep timing that lets Turrentine breathe. His brother Tommy Turrentine on trumpet adds a complementary voice — there's a real conversation happening, not just two horn players taking turns. The material leans toward accessible melodic ground, which means the focus stays on phrasing and tone rather than harmonic complexity.
This is a working musician's album, made without pretense. It wasn't reissued immediately or elevated into the canon, but the music has worn well. Selections circulated later under different titles, which speaks to how useful these performances proved to be. For listeners who want to hear Turrentine in a relaxed, soulful setting — closer to a late-night club date than a modernist manifesto — this is exactly the kind of record that rewards returning to.
Who's playing
George Tuckerdouble bass
Horace Parlanpiano
Stanley Turrentinetenor saxophone
Tommy Turrentinetrumpet
Al Harewooddrums
