Bruce Turner

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Malcolm Bruce Turner (July 5, 1922, Saltburn — November 28, 1993, Newport Pagnell) was an English saxophonist, clarinetist, and bandleader.

Turner learned clarinet as a schoolboy and began playing alto sax while serving in the Royal Air Force during World War II. He played with Freddy Randall from 1948-53, and worked on the Queen Mary in a dance band and in a quartet with Dill Jones and Peter Ind. He studied under Lee Konitz in New York City briefly in 1950.

His first period with Humphrey Lyttelton ran from 1953 to 1957, but began inauspiciously. At a concert in 1953 at Birmingham's Town Hall, Lyttelton's more literal traditionalist fans displayed a banner instructing "Go Home Dirty Bopper!" After leaving Lyttelton he led his own Jump Band from 1957-65, which was featured in the 1961 film Living Jazz. Turner arranged the music for this film as well. He returned to duty under Randall from 1964-66, and played with Don Byas (1966) and Acker Bilk (1966-70). He continued to work with Lyttelton and Ind in the 1960s and 1970s, and played with the Jump Band intermittently; he also worked with Wally Fawkes, John Chilton, Stan Greig (1975-76), Alex Welsh, and Dave Green. He led his own small ensembles in the 1990s up until his death in 1993.

Bruce Turner's autobiography Hot Air, Cool Music, published by Quartet Books appeared in 1984. Some of Turner's albums have been reissued by Lake Records.

[edit] Discography as leader

• Accent on Swing
• The Dirty Bopper
• That's the Blues, Dad
• Juicy and Full Toned
• Jumpin' for Joy
• The Jump Band Collection

[edit] References

• Cooper/Kernfeld, "Bruce Turner". Grove Jazz online.