Tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine hit his stride during the mid 1960s, playing and recording with Hammond organ wiz Jimmy Smith. During the 1970s he recorded 5 albums on the CTI label from which the tracks for this collection were chosen.

The songs seem to signal a precursor for what today we would call lite jazz. Turrentine's playing is indeed "cool", but on some songs the layers of strings and percussion render his playing too subdued and understated. An all-star cast is on board to lend some needed punch to the proceedings—legends Milt Jackson, Freddie Hubbard and George Benson shine on original songs like "Sugar" and "Don't Mess with Mr. T", which both refer to Turrentine's nicknames.

This Sony Legacy collection is a bit of a mixed bag. Some cuts will leave you wanting to hear more of the rich sound Turrentine was famous for, while others are bit too cool and mellow for their own good.