Turrentine, Stanley & The Three Sounds: Blue Hour (Blue Note Classic) LP

Alfred Lion's inspired idea to pair tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine with the 3 Sounds—the trio featuring pianist Gene Harris, bassist Andrew Simpkins, and drummer Bill Dowdy—on 1960's Blue Hour produced one of most deeply soulful hard bop outings in the Blue Note catalog. Both Turrentine and The 3 Sounds were in the early days of their lengthy associations with the label at the time, the saxophonist having just recorded his leader debut, Look Out, a few months prior and the trio having debuted in 1958 with Introducing the 3 Sounds. Blue Hour is a smoldering late-night affair highlighted by seductive ballad performances of four standards: "I Want a Little Girl," "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You," "Since I Fell for You," and "Willow Weep for Me." At the album's center is Harris' spunky "Blue Riff," the sole uptempo number on this otherwise laid-back classic.