Turning Point (Kevin Eubanks album)
| Turning Point | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1992 | |||
| Recorded | December 1991, January 1992 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Label | Blue Note | |||
| Producer | Kevin Eubanks | |||
| Kevin Eubanks chronology | ||||
| ||||
Turning Point is an album by the American musician Kevin Eubanks, released in 1992.[1][2] Its release coincided with the beginning of his tenure on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.[3] The album peaked in the top five on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Albums chart.[4]
Production
Turning Point was recorded in December 1991 and January 1992.[5] Eubanks was backed by two quartets, which included Dave Holland and Charnett Moffett on bass, Marvin "Smitty" Smith and Mark Mondesir on drums, and Kent Jordan on alto flute.[6] The album begins with a three-part suite.[7] "Lingering Destiny" is a solo acoustic guitar composition.[8]
Critical reception
Many critics considered Turning Point to be a less fusion- and pop-oriented album than Eubanks's previous work, a conclusion that annoyed the musician.[15]
The Indianapolis Star stated that "Eubanks has lots of facility, but he husbands his resources wisely... His playing is angular, crisply accented and loaded with funky hooks".[10] The Gazette advised, "Imagine Wes Montgomery on speed, or John McLaughlin with soul"; the paper later listed Turning Point as one of the best jazz albums of 1992.[16][17] The Ottawa Citizen said, "On the pivotal 'Spiral Ways' the trio builds an ascending, tension-filled Eubanks melody to a Mahavishnu-style boil, with Holland and Smith prodding the guitarist to the finest playing of his career."[18]
The Birmingham Post praised the "exotic soundscapes and driving rhythms."[19] LA Weekly noted that Eubanks's "filing cabinet of technique [allows] him to be funky ratchet or classical gas."[20] The Philadelphia Inquirer said that Eubanks "endows 'Colors of One' with a sweet, dreamy sense of drift."[13]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Turning Point (Part I)" | |
| 2. | "Aftermath (Part II)" | |
| 3. | "Initiation (Part III)" | |
| 4. | "New World Order" | |
| 5. | "Colors of One" | |
| 6. | "Spiral Days" | |
| 7. | "Freedom Child" | |
| 8. | "On My Way to Paradise" | |
| 9. | "Lingering Destiny" |
References
- ^ Williamson, Kathy (June 17, 2004). "Kevin Eubanks: Musician and Bandleader". Los Angeles Sentinel. p. B3.
- ^ Smith, Will (September 6, 1992). "Jazz Sounds". Entertainment. Omaha World-Herald. p. 11.
- ^ Martin, Michel (June 28, 2010). "Kevin Eubanks on Life After Leno". Tell Me More. NPR.
- ^ "Contemporary jazz". Muncie Evening Press. Radio & Records Inc. September 3, 1992. p. 15.
- ^ a b All Music Guide to Jazz. Miller Freeman Books. 1998. p. 351.
- ^ Point, Michael (July 30, 1992). "Summer fun". Onward. Austin American-Statesman. p. 15.
- ^ a b Johnson, Lawrence B. (February 20, 1993). "Jazz". Detroit Free Press. p. 6D.
- ^ a b Cordle, Owen (September 20, 1992). "On the record". The News & Observer. p. 2G.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (1998). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 3. MUZE. p. 1785.
- ^ a b Harvey, Jay (April 2, 1993). "Kevin Eubanks 'Turning Point'". The Indianapolis Star. p. D9.
- ^ MusicHound Jazz: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 383.
- ^ The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD, LP & Cassette. Penguin Books. 1994. p. 421.
- ^ a b Stark, Karl (July 23, 1992). "Jazz". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. C9.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide. Random House. 1999. p. 229.
- ^ Moon, Tom (January 4, 1993). "Upbeat All the Way". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. E1.
- ^ Wells, Paul (September 17, 1992). "Kevin Eubanks Turning Point". The Gazette. p. E6.
- ^ Wells, Paul (January 2, 1993). "The best jazz albums of 1992?". The Gazette. p. D8.
- ^ Hale, James (November 7, 1992). "Eubanks' acoustic trio among the best". The Ottawa Citizen. p. H3.
- ^ Hadsley, Neville (July 4, 1992). "Jazz". The Birmingham Post. p. 31.
- ^ Burk, Greg (July 23, 1992). "Jazz Pick of the Week". LA Weekly. Vol. 14, no. 33. p. 109.