Mark Turner (musician)
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Mark Turner is a well-known jazz saxophonist and clarinetist with several recordings to his credit.
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[edit] Biographical information
Born November 10, 1965 in Fairborn, Ohio, and raised in Southern California, Turner originally intended to become a commercial artist. In elementary school he played the clarinet, followed by the alto sax and then the tenor in high school. He graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1990 before moving to New York. Today, he performs and teaches at the Manhattan School of Music.
[edit] Style and influences
Mark Turner's sound is remniscent of that of Warne Marsh, in that he often produces a somewhat dry, woody tone. He also has elements of John Coltrane in his playing. Turner has mentioned both Marsh and Coltrane [1] as influences, and has used elements of both players' styles in his music without resorting to mimicry. Turner's range extends effortlessly up into the high altissimo register, and he makes use of the full range of his instrument in his improvisations (his recordings easily negate the opposite claim, made by the Grove Dictionary of Music). His improvised lines tend to be harmonically and rythmically complex, but with a constant organic flow. His compositions often make use of repeated patterns, odd-metered time signatures, intervallic leaps, and also a selective use of space.
[edit] Musical Associations
Mark Turner frequently collaborates with Kurt Rosenwinkel, Larry Grenadier, and Jeff Ballard, and has formed various collectives that include these musicians (M.T.B. and prominently, fly). He has also played with the influential Dave Holland Big Band. In 2003, Turner collaborated with fellow Lennie Tristano/Warne Marsh admirer, alto saxophonist Gary Foster, in a special concert billed as "Mark Turner and Friends". [2].
[edit] Recordings as a leader
The following albums have been released under Turner's name:
- Yam Yam (Criss-Cross, 1995) [3]
- The Music of Mercedes Rossy (Fresh Sound, 1998) [4]
- Mark Turner (Warner Bros., 1998)
- In This World (Warner Bros., 1998)
- Two Tenor Ballads (Criss Cross, 2000) [5]
- Ballad Session (Warner Bros., 2000)
- Dharma Days (Warner Bros., 2001)
A very detailed discography can be found at http://www.jazzdiscography.com/Artists/Turner/index.html
[edit] Recordings as a collaborative leader
- Warner Jams Vol.2: The Two Tenors (w/James Moody) (Warner Bros., 1997)
- Consenting Adults ("M.T.B." collective with Brad Mehldau, Peter Bernstein, Larry Grenadier, and Leon Parker) (Criss Cross, 2000) [6]
- Fly (Collective with Larry Grenadier and Jeff Ballard) (Savoy, 2004) [7]
[edit] Recordings as a Sideman
Aside from his own albums, Turner has been an active and sought-after sideman. He has appeared on label releases by Blue Note, Columbia, Verve, Concord, Steeplechase, Koch Jazz, Chesky, Enja, and Evidence Records, as well as albums on a multitude of independent labels. Under these labels, he has recorded with notables such as Lee Konitz, John Patitucci, Ryan Kisor, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Robert Glasper and Seamus Blake.
Has also appeared with:
- Matthias Lupri on Transition Sonic, Same Time Twice
[edit] References
- Interview with Mark Turner, by Fred Jung [8]
- Grove Dictionary of Music entry by Gary Kennedy (grovemusic.com, accessed 3/14/07)
- "The Style of Tenor Saxophonist Mark Turner: Assimilating the influence of Warne Marsh and the Lennie Tristano School.", Master's Thesis by Jimmy Emerzian (In progress).
[edit] Additional Information
Reviews:
G. Giddins: “Turner Classic Moves,” VV (14 April 1998), 118
G. M. Stern: “Airtime: Mark Turner: You Don’t Have to be Twenty Years Old to Succeed,” Windplayer, no.58 (1998), 10
