In the Spur of the Moment

1	Ray's Collard Greens 6:38
2	Misty 5:23
3	Duke Rays 5:21
4	The Way You Look Tonight 7:04
5	Ellington Medley: Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me/Five O'Clock Drag 8:01
6	Something for John 5:35
7	In the Spur of the Moment 9:18
8	Suenos de la Habana 5:45
9	Claudia 9:25
10	Descarga Ahora 6:28

Barnes & Noble

Although Steve Turre's widely regarded as one of the most accomplished trombonists of his generation, his extensive '90s output for Verve focused less on his trombonicity than on the sui generis sound of his conch-shell ensemble and uniquely textured sextet with strings. With IN THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT, his Telarc debut, Turre puts the focus squarely on the trombone and plays with an authority and authenticity that reminds you why he's achieved such accolades. He organizes the proceedings into three sections ("The Blues in Jazz," "Modern and Modal," and "Afro-Cuban Sounds"), each evoking a major component of his musical experience. On the four tracks comprising "The Blues," Ray Charles, an early Turre employer, holds the piano chair, making his first "sideman" appearance on a hard-core jazz date in about 40 years. The maestro embodies the blues sensibility; distilling the essence of Nat Cole and Erroll Garner into a style wholly his own, he swings with ebullient brio, conjuring solos that could each sustain a beautiful lyric, while his immaculate, percussive comp prods Turre to lyric heights on Garner's "Misty" and soulful, voice-like turns on "Duke's Room" (an original "C-Jam Blues" variant) and "The Way You Look Tonight." Turre enlists young piano whiz Stephen Scott and veteran masters Buster Williams on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums for the "Modern and Modal" section, which begins with an Ellington medley ("Do Nothing Til You Hear From Me" and "Five O'Clock Drag,") and moves to an energetic "Something for John" (based on the chords of Coltrane's "Moment's Notice") and Scott's open-ended title track. For "Afro-Cuban Sounds" (Turre's extensive Latin c.v. includes stints with Manny Oquendo's Conjunto Libre, Tito Puente, and Poncho Sanchez) the trombonist brings in three virtuosos -- Chucho Valdez on piano, Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez on trapset and hand drums, both from Cuba, and bassist Andy Gonzalez from the Bronx -- who play at the peak of their form. Framed by a cast of stars in the supporting roles, Turre is a commanding leading man; their brilliance lifts him, makes him stronger. Addressing a program that could easily have been a hodgepodge of disparate sounds, he unifies everything by the force of his personality, which he conveys with unflagging wit, invention, and charisma. Ted Panken

All Music Guide

In the Spur of the Moment, Steve Turre's debut release for Telarc Jazz, is a technically precise and elegant musical adventure through three jazz styles in which Steve Turre expresses his musical personalities in a quartet setting. In the first setting, he plays the blues in jazz with the legendary Ray Charles on piano, Peter Turre on drums, and Peter Washington on bass. The section features two original compositions by Steve titled "Ray's Collard Greens," an authentic 12-bar blues, and "Duke Rays," a song based on Duke Ellington's "In a Mellow Tone," for which Steve uses Ellington's changes but has written a new melody. "Misty" and "The Way You Look Tonight" round out the section, but are featured with the same approach to the blues. The second section of In the Spur of the Moment features Stephen Scott on piano in a modern and modal setting. His third musical setting stars Turre and Chucho Valdes playing Afro-Cuban sounds in a set that also features Peter Turre on drums, Buster Williams on bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums, Andy Gonzalez on bass, and the great, Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez on drums and percussion. This section shows Turre at his zenith as an assured leader and sensitive collaborator with exciting accompaniment by Chucho plus the string quartet, and Quartette Indigo on "Claudia." In the Spur of the Moment concludes with an exciting finale that features Turre putting his brilliant trombone and shell skills to the test on the exciting jam, "Descarga Ahora." This CD is an glowing example of Steve Turre's exceptional finesse in the many styles of jazz. Paula Edelstein