West Side Highway

by Jason AnkenyWest Side Highway reunites Stanley Turrentine with arranger/conductor Claus Ogerman for a funky yet oddly melancholy crossover session that at its best suggests a latter-day interpretation of the tenorist's classic Blue Note dates. Ogerman's bold, dramatic arrangements boast an atypical elegance and restraint that beautifully underline the soulfulness of Turrentine's solos--even better, the backing vocals that hampered previous LPs are absent here, affording a new spaciousness for the all-star contributions of Eric Gale, Cornell Dupree, Ron Carter and Hubert Laws. A shame the material is so tepid and predictable, including yet another reading of Turrentine's signature "Sugar" and the jazz perennial "Walkin'."