Turrentine was born in Pittsburgh's Hill District into a musical family. His father, Thomas Turrentine, Sr., was a saxophonist with Al Cooper's Savoy Sultans, his mother played stride piano, and his older brother Tommy Turrentine became a professional trumpet player.
He began his prolific career with blues and rhythm and blues bands, and was at first greatly influenced by Illinois Jacquet. In the 1950s, he went on to play with the groups of Lowell Fulson, Earl Bostic, and at the turn of the decade, Max Roach.
Turrentine received his only formal musical training during his military stint in the mid-'50s. In 1959, he jumped from the frying pan into the fire when he left the military and went straight into the band of the great drummer Max Roach.
He married the organist Shirley Scott in 1960 and the two frequently played and recorded together. In the 1960s, he started working with organist Jimmy Smith, and made many soul jazz recordings both with Smith and as a leader.
In the 1970s, after his professional split and divorce from Scott, Turrentine turned to jazz fusion and signed for Creed Taylor's CTI label. His first album for CTI, Sugar proved one of his biggest successes and a seminal recording for the label. He worked with Freddie Hubbard, Milt Jackson, George Benson, Bob James, Richard Tee, Idris Muhammad, Ron Carter, Grant Green and Eric Gale, to name a few. He returned to soul jazz in the 1980s and into the 1990s.
Turrentine lived in Fort Washington, Maryland from the early 90s until his death.
He died of a stroke in New York City on September 12, 2000 and is buried in Pittsburgh's Allegheny Cemetery
In A Sentimental Mood
Stanley Turrentine Lyrics
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I can see the stars come thru my room
While your loving attitude
Is like a flame that lights the gloom
On the wings of ev'ry kiss
Drift a melody so strange and sweet
In this sentimental bliss you make my
Paradise complete
It's all like a dream to call you mine
My heart's lighter thing
Since you made me this night a thing divine
In A Sentimental Mood
I'm within a world so heavenly
For I never dreamt
That you'd be loving sentimental me
In A Sentimental Mood
I can see the stars come thru my room
While your loving attitude
Is like a flame that lights the gloom
On the wings of ev'ry kiss
Drift a melody so strange and sweet
In this sentimental bliss you make my
Paradise complete
Rose pearls seem to fall
It's all like a dream to call you mine
My heart's lighter thing
Since you made me this night a thing divine
In A Sentimental Mood
I'm within a world so heavenly
For I never dreamt
That you'd be loving sentimental me
The lyrics of Stanley Turrentine's "In A Sentimental Mood" describe a feeling of being in a dreamlike state, in which the singer is overwhelmed by the love and tenderness of the person they are with. They describe being surrounded by a warm, glowing atmosphere created by the other person's "loving attitude", which is like a light in the darkness. The physical sensations of being kissed by the person they love are described as carrying a "melody so strange and sweet" that brings the singer to a state of "sentimental bliss".
The singer is so overcome by their emotions that their surroundings seem unreal - "rose pearls seem to fall" and everything seems "like a dream". However, the presence of the other person makes their heart feel lighter and makes the night "a thing divine". The song ends with the singer describing the feeling of being "within a world so heavenly" and expressing amazement that the person they love could feel sentimental about them.
Overall, the song is a heartfelt and poetic tribute to the power of love to transform the ordinary into something magical.
Line by Line Meaning
In A Sentimental Mood
The singer is conveying the atmosphere of the moment as sentimental.
I can see the stars come thru my room
The singer is in a state of mind where they can see the beauty of the world around them.
While your loving attitude
The singer is addressing a person with a loving and positive attitude.
Is like a flame that lights the gloom
The person's love and affection is like a light that dispels darkness.
On the wings of ev'ry kiss
The person's kisses have a mysterious and sweet quality that deeply touches the artist.
Drift a melody so strange and sweet
The emotions created by the person's kisses have an enigmatic and delightful quality.
In this sentimental bliss you make my
The singer is expressing their deep and felt emotions that are making them happy.
Paradise complete
The artist feels that their bliss is making their life whole and perfect.
Rose pearls seem to fall
The atmosphere is so enchanting that the artist feels like they are in a dream.
It's all like a dream to call you mine
The artist can hardly believe that they are fortunate enough to have the person they love.
My heart's lighter thing
The singer feels that their heart has softened and become light because of the emotions they are feeling.
Since you made me this night a thing divine
The artist feels that the emotions they are feeling are divine because of the person's love.
In A Sentimental Mood
The singer reiterates that they are in a sentimental mood.
I'm within a world so heavenly
The singer feels like they are in a magical world because of the person's love.
For I never dreamt
The singer admits that they did not imagine such a wonderful outcome.
That you'd be loving sentimental me
The artist is expressing their surprise and gratitude that the person they love is reciprocating their emotions.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tratore
Written by: Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Manny Kurtz
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind