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
Pieces of Dream
Stanley Turrentine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You go a wondering, wandering
Stumbling, tumbling, round! round!
When will you find
What's on the tip of your mind?
Why are you blind
To all you ever were
Never were, really are, nearly are?
Will you ever be done traveling
Always unraveling you, you?
Running away could lead you further astray
And as for fishing in streams for pieces of dreams
Those pieces will never fit
What is the sense of it?
Little boy blue, don't let your little sheep roam
It's time ,come blow your horn, meet the morn
Look and see, can you be far from home?
The lyrics of Stanley Turrentine's song, "Pieces of Dreams," convey the story of a lost and wandering boy in search of his identity. The lyrics suggest that the boy is both lost and false, unable to locate his real self. He stumbles and tumbles in his search, wondering when he will find what's on the tip of his mind. The song's theme is that you cannot piece together your dreams by fishing for them randomly in streams; they don't fit together.
The song encourages the little boy to stop running away, as this will only lead him further astray in his search. Instead, the lyrics suggest that he should blow his horn, meet the morning, and look around to see that he's not far from home. He must connect with his true self and stop wandering, unraveling, and seeking pieces of his dreams that will never fit together.
The lyrics of "Pieces of Dreams" are an astute reflection of the human condition, where we are all continually searching for our place in the world and our purpose. The song urges people to give up the fruitless search for a false self and focus on being true to our actual identities.
Line by Line Meaning
Little boy lost in search of little boy found
You are searching for a lost version of yourself.
You go a wondering, wandering
You are aimlessly moving around.
Stumbling, tumbling, round! round!
You are struggling to find direction.
When will you find
You are uncertain about when you will find what you are looking for.
What's on the tip of your mind?
You are constantly thinking about what you are searching for.
Why are you blind
You are not able to see what is right in front of you.
To all you ever were
You have forgotten who you used to be.
Never were, really are, nearly are?
You are questioning your identity and how you fit into the world.
Little boy false in search of little boy true
You are searching for an authentic version of yourself.
Will you ever be done traveling
You wonder if you will ever stop searching for yourself.
Always unraveling you, you?
You are constantly trying to figure yourself out.
Running away could lead you further astray
Avoiding your problems might make things worse.
And as for fishing in streams for pieces of dreams
Trying to find fulfillment in unrealistic things will not work.
Those pieces will never fit
Those things you are searching for will not bring you inner peace.
What is the sense of it?
You are questioning the point of your search.
Little boy blue, don't let your little sheep roam
Don't let your thoughts wander too much.
It's time, come blow your horn, meet the morn
It's time to wake up and start a new day.
Look and see, can you be far from home?
You might find what you are looking for where you already are.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Michel Legrand
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Chemguy NJ
This was an era of jazz that will never be duplicated. So many outstanding artists from the late forties through the sixties and Stanley was right at the top with the Giants of Jazz.
Simangele Marie Mkhize
Well said👌
Zadig The Jasp
Sample monumental. Incroyable de savoir ce morceau tatoué dans l'histoire du hip hop français
nepherti
Zadig The Jasp enzo?
nepherti
Comme on se retrouve bg
Maak Parash
La suite 🔥
F Bautista
I've had this album since college, and the composition/arrangement are so powerful they always bring me to tears. BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL.
Phil Pryor
I've had this since the '70's. with its thrilling upthrust sound, full lush strings, heavy overloaded rhythm with keyboards, guitars, bass, drums and percussion. Stanley's trembling and emotional vibrato has a unique effect in expression of soul. Great.
Glen
This version of Pieces of Dreams is a classic. Stanley's tone is magnificent. The way he changes
his inflections on the highest notes is unique. He is in the pantheon of jazz greats. His playing inspired a teenage jazz funk band from Philadelphia to name their group Pieces of a Dream. They've been going strong for 40 years
now.
Tony Mack
I can tell it's mr. Turrentine with one bar