Recorded in 1964, “Mr. Natural” features a stellar band with Lee Morgan on trumpet, McCoy Tyner on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, Elvin Jones on drums and Ray Barretto on congas for three of the cuts. But the nature of its release could have relegated it to the position of a footnote or curio in jazz history.

The album remained unreleased and in the can for 16 years – for a complex set of reasons. The soulful and bluesy take on jazz that tenor saxophonist Turrentine was exploring was felt to be less commercially viable at the time than many of the more progressive albums being laid down for release. Blue Note also had a huge recording backlog, which it got swallowed up by.

Jazz historians have noted that the label changed hands in this period, significantly affecting release priorities. 

The album was unceremoniously dropped onto the market with little fanfare in 1980 along with a glut of other releases. It was a clearing of the decks of sessions that had been delayed and left to gather dust in the Blue Note vaults. It then went quickly out of print.

Luckily for jazz fans, it has become easily available again with a further re-release allowing existing Turrentine aficionados and newer fans alike to appreciate this extraordinary session, which encapsulates much of what made him a great artist in the first place. It deserves a place of recognition, not only in his back catalogue, but in the history of modern jazz.

Besides the extraordinary playing of Turrentine, “Mr. Natural” was notable for another reason at its release, as it gave jazz fans an extra shot of Lee Morgan’s trumpet magic. Morgan had died in 1972, aged just 33, right between the recording and the delayed release of this album.

The interplay between Turrentine’s lyrical tenor playing and Morgan’s crisp yet nuanced trumpet work is one of the defining features of “Mr. Natural”. Opener “Wahoo (aka Stanley’s Blues)” sees the two players bouncing off each other, with Morgan coming to the fore for a storming solo at the track’s midpoint. McCoy Tyner’s skillful comping provides a gorgeous bluesy backbone to the track. 



Easy to overlook on the session is Ray Barretto, who plays congas on the aforementioned opener and the following two cuts – the Turrentine penned “Shirley” and the Morgan original “Tacos”. His detailed percussion adds a fantastic rhythmic counterpoint to the steady drumming of Elvin Jones. On “Tacos” his work pops out of the mix, particularly during the opening that sees him alongside Cranshaw’s bass and Tyner’s keys, before the rest of the band kick in.



Turrentine’s distinctive fluid tone is all over the record. He also leans into his distinctive use of vocalised phrasing, an approach where the playing almost mimics the intonation of a human voice. This is particularly evident on the cover of the iconic Beatles song “Can’t Buy Me Love”, which closes out the album. Ranking as one of the great jazz interpretations of a popular classic, this rendition sees Turrentine’s trademark sound applied to the lead melody as the band turn the familiar piece into a swinging bluesy jazz number.

Sometimes albums that are buried or don’t see the light of day at their time of recording are destined to remain curious, only really appealing to nerds and completists. But “Mr. Natural” is far too good an album for that fate. Having received additional attention through its re-release, it’s a perfect jumping off point for anyone new to the huge output of Stanley Turrentine and an album not to be missed for the existing fan who may not have given it a go yet.

---

Andrew Taylor-Dawson is an Essex based writer and marketer. His music writing has been featured in UK Jazz News, The Quietus and Songlines. Outside music, he has written for The Ecologist, Byline Times and more.

---

_{Header image: Stanley Turrentine. Photo: Francis Wolff / Blue Note Records.}