Mark Turner (musician)

Last updated

Mark Turner
Mark Turner 1.JPG
Turner in 2010
Background information
Born (1965-11-10) November 10, 1965 (age 58)
Fairborn, Ohio, U.S.
Genres Jazz
OccupationMusician
InstrumentSaxophone
Years active1990s–present
Labels Warner Bros., ECM
Website www.markturnerjazz.com
Mark Turner (2017) Mark Turner Victoria teater Oslo Jazzfestival (182123).jpg
Mark Turner (2017)

Mark Turner (born November 10, 1965) is an American jazz saxophonist.

Contents

Biography

Born in Fairborn, Ohio, and raised in the small Southern California town of Palos Verdes Estates, Turner originally intended to become a commercial artist. In elementary school he played the clarinet, followed by the alto and tenor saxophones in high school. He attended California State University, Long Beach in the 1980s (playing in the jazz ensembles) and then transferred to and graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1990 before moving to New York. Turner worked at Tower Records in New York City for an extended period before working full-time as a jazz musician. [1]

In early November 2008 Turner injured two fingers on one of his hands with a power saw, but as of late February 2009 he was performing again with the Edward Simon Quartet at the Village Vanguard.

He is married to the psychiatrist and anthropologist, Dr. Helena Hansen. [2]

Style and influences

Turner's sound is reminiscent of that of Warne Marsh, but he also has elements of John Coltrane in his playing. Turner has mentioned both Marsh and Coltrane as influences, and has used elements of both players' styles in his music. [3] Turner's range extends into the high altissimo register. His improvised lines tend to span several octaves and contain great harmonic and rhythmic complexity. His compositions often make use of repeated patterns, odd-metered time signatures, and intervallic leaps.

Turner states that his music is "unfolding like a narrative". Consequently, his 2014 album Lathe of Heaven is named after Ursula K. Le Guin's novel of the same title which is based on the idea of a world where the nature of reality keeps shifting. [4]

Musical associations

In September 2014, Turner released his first album as a leader since 2001 on ECM Records; [5] it features trumpeter Avishai Cohen, bassist Joe Martin, and drummer Marcus Gilmore. [6] Turner is a member of the trio Fly, which includes himself, bassist Larry Grenadier, and drummer Jeff Ballard. [7] He also appears in guitarist Gilad Hekselman's Quartet, and drummer Billy Hart's Quartet. [8] Turner has recorded extensively with guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, saxophonist David Binney, and pianist Aaron Goldberg, among others. [9] Turner has played or collaborated with more than 45 jazz bands. In 2018 and 2019 alone he played on eight different jazz albums as a sideman or collaborator.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

As group

Fly with Jeff Ballard and Larry Grenadier

SFJAZZ Collective

As sideman

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Coltrane</span> American jazz saxophonist (1926–1967)

John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joshua Redman</span> American jazz saxophonist and composer (born 1969)

Joshua Redman is an American jazz saxophonist and composer. He is the son of jazz saxophonist Dewey Redman (1931–2006).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Lovano</span> American jazz flautist, saxophonist, clarinettist

Joseph Salvatore Lovano is an American jazz multi-instrumentalist. Though best known as a tenor saxophonist, Lovano has also recorded on alto clarinet, flute and drums, amongst other instruments. He has earned a Grammy Award and several mentions in Down Beat magazine's critics' & readers' polls. His wife is singer Judi Silvano, with whom he records and performs. Lovano was a longtime member of the late drummer Paul Motian‘s trio alongside guitarist Bill Frisell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Motian</span> American jazz drummer, percussionist, and composer

Stephen Paul Motian was an American jazz drummer, percussionist, and composer. He played an important role in freeing jazz drummers from strict time-keeping duties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry Grenadier</span> American jazz double bassist

Larry Grenadier is an American jazz double bassist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurt Rosenwinkel</span> American jazz musician and bandleader

Kurt Rosenwinkel is an American jazz guitarist, composer, bandleader, producer, educator, keyboardist and record label owner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warne Marsh</span> American tenor saxophonist (1927–1987)

Warne Marion Marsh was an American tenor saxophonist. Born in Los Angeles, his playing first came to prominence in the 1950s as a protégé of pianist Lennie Tristano and earned attention in the 1970s as a member of Supersax.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Potter (jazz saxophonist)</span> American jazz musician and composer

Chris Potter is an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist.

<i>Crescent</i> (John Coltrane album) 1964 studio album by John Coltrane

Crescent is a studio album by the jazz musician and composer John Coltrane. It was released in July 1964 through the label Impulse!. Alongside Coltrane on tenor saxophone, the album features McCoy Tyner (piano), Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones (drums) playing original Coltrane compositions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Mraz</span> Czech-born American jazz bassist (1944–2021)

George Mraz was a Czech-born American jazz bassist and alto saxophonist. He was a member of Oscar Peterson's group, and worked with Pepper Adams, Stan Getz, Michel Petrucciani, Stephane Grappelli, Tommy Flanagan, Jimmy Raney, Chet Baker, Joe Henderson, John Abercrombie, John Scofield, and Richie Beirach, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernt Rosengren</span> Swedish jazz saxophonist (1937–2023)

Bernt Åke Rosengren was a Swedish jazz tenor saxophonist. His recordings earned him five Gyllene Skivan awards in Sweden over more than forty years.

Theodore "Ted" G. Brown is an American cool jazz tenor saxophonist. Brown has worked with Warne Marsh and Ronnie Ball, and recorded with Lennie Tristano, Art Pepper, Hod O'Brien and Lee Konitz, as well as heading his own groups.

"26-2" is a musical composition written by American jazz musician John Coltrane. The song was recorded by Coltrane in 1960, but it released ten years later by Atlantic Records on an album entitled The Coltrane Legacy with a rhythm section composed of McCoy Tyner on piano, Steve Davis on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. The composition itself is a contrafact of Charlie Parker's tune "Confirmation", with harmonic alterations to the original chord changes used by Coltrane in a number of his compositions. This harmonic modification is commonly known as Coltrane Changes, which have been most notably used in Coltrane's "Giant Steps". "26-2" is one of several contrafacts by Coltrane, others including "Countdown", a contrafact of Miles Davis's "Tune Up"; and "Satellite" from the album Coltrane's Sound, which is based upon the chord progression of "How High the Moon". Coltrane plays the first statement of the melody on tenor saxophone and switches to soprano saxophone for the last statement of the melody on the recorded version.

Jimmy Halperin is an American saxophonist and composer in avant-garde jazz and new improvised music.

<i>Ne Plus Ultra</i> 1970 studio album by Warne Marsh

Ne Plus Ultra, is an album by saxophonist Warne Marsh recorded in 1969 and originally released on the Revelation label in 1970 before being rereleased on CD the Swiss HatOLOGY label in 2006 with a bonus track.

<i>Conversations with Warne Volume 1</i> 1991 studio album by Pete Christlieb Quartet featuring Warne Marsh

Conversations with Warne Volume 1 is an album by saxophonist Pete Christlieb's Quartet featuring Warne Marsh which was recorded in 1978 and released on the Dutch Criss Cross Jazz label in 1991.

<i>Star Highs</i> 1982 studio album by Warne Marsh Quartet

Star Highs, is an album by saxophonist Warne Marsh, recorded in 1982 and released on the Dutch Criss Cross Jazz label.

<i>Temporary Kings</i> (album) 2018 studio album by Mark Turner and Ethan Iverson

Temporary Kings is an album by saxophonist Mark Turner and pianist Ethan Iverson recorded in June 2017 and released on ECM September the following year.

<i>Lathe of Heaven</i> (album) 2014 studio album by the Mark Turner Quartet

Lathe of Heaven is an album by the Mark Turner Quartet recorded in June 2013 and released on ECM September the following year. The quartet features trumpeter Avishai Cohen and rhythm section Joe Martin and Marcus Gilmore. The album’s title references Ursula K. Le Guin’s 1971 science fiction novel of the same name.

<i>Two Tenor Ballads</i> 2000 studio album by Mark Turner and Tad Shull

Two Tenor Ballads is an album by saxophonists Mark Turner and Tad Shull which was recorded in 1994 but not released until 2000 by the Criss Cross Jazz label.

References

  1. Huey, Steve. "Mark Turner Biography". All Music. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  2. Leonard, Devin (June 26, 2009). "Mark Turner Escapes the Shadow of John Coltrane". New York Observer. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  3. "Jazz Weekly magazine interview by Fred Jung". Jazzweekly.com. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
  4. "In Mark Turner's New Album, The Music Unfolds Like A Narrative". National Public Radio. September 4, 2014. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
  5. Whitehead, Kevin. "In Tenor Saxophonist Mark Turner's New Album, The Music Unfolds Like A Narrative". NPR. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  6. Chinen, Nate. "Follow the Leader; He's Deep in the Pack Mark Turner Quartet at the Village Vanguard". New York Times. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  7. Collar, Matt. "Fly". All Music. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  8. Jurek, Thom. "All Our Reasons". All Music. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  9. Huey, Steve. "Mark Turner". All Music. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  10. "Yam Yam" . Retrieved October 27, 2014.
  11. Archived November 24, 2004, at the Wayback Machine
  12. "Two Tenor Ballads". Crisscrossjazz.com. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
  13. "In Tenor Saxophonist Mark Turner's New Album, The Music Unfolds Like A Narrative". NPR. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  14. Le Gendre, Kevin (December 2023 – January 2024). "Mark Turner: Live at The Village Vanguard". Jazzwise . No. 291. p. 43.
  15. "Lee Konitz super audio CD SACD Parallels USA SACD240 CHESKY Audiophile 2002". ebay. Archived from the original on April 30, 2015.
  16. Lyles, R. Mark Turner Discography, accessed May 7, 2019

Reviews