Stephen Johnson Turre - American (J)azz trombonist, pioneer seashell-blowin' pioneer, composer, arranger & educator

Yamaha bio.:

One of the world's preeminent (J)azz innovators, trombonist & seashellist Steve Turre, has consistently won both the Readers' & Critics' polls in JazzTimes, Downbeat, & Jazziz for Best Trombone & for Best Miscellaneous Instrumentalist (shells). Turre was born to Mexican-American parents & grew up in the San Francisco Bay area where he absorbed daily doses of mariachi, blues & (J)azz. While attending Sacramento State University, he joined the Escovedo Brothers salsa band, which began his career-long involvement w/ that genre.

In 1972 Steve Turre's career picked up momentum when Ray Charles hired him to go on tour. A year later Turre's mentor Woody Shaw brought him into Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. After his tenure w/ Blakey, Turre went on to work w/ a diverse list of musicians from the (J)azz, Latin, & pop worlds, including Dizzy Gillespie, McCoy Tyner, J.J. Johnson, Herbie Hancock, Lester Bowie, Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Van Morrison, Pharoah Sanders, Horace Silver, Max Roach, & Rahsaan Roland Kirk. The latter introduced him to the seashell as an instrument. Soon after that, while touring in Mexico City w/ Woody Shaw, Turre's relatives informed him that his ancestors similarly played the shells. Since then, Turre has incorporated seashells into his diverse musical style.

In addition to performing as a member of the Saturday Night Live Band since 1984, Turre leads several different ensembles. Sanctified Shells utilizes the seashell in a larger context, transforming his horn secton into a "shell choir". Turre's Spring 1999 Verve release, Lotus Flower, showcases his Sextet w/ Strings. The recording explores many great standards & original compositions arranged by Turre for a unique instrumentation of trombone & shells, violin, cello, piano, bass & drums. Turre's quartet & quintet provide a setting based in tradition & stretching the limits conceptually & stylistically. In the Summer of 2000, Telarc released In The Spur of the Moment. This recording features Steve w/ three different quartets, each w/ a different & distinct master pianist: Ray Charles, Chucho Valdes, & Stephen Scott.

Turre's self-titled Verve release pioneers a unique artistic vision, drawing upon (J)azz, Afro-Cuban, & Brazilian sources. This innovative recording also features Cassandra Wilson, Randy Brecker, Graciela, Mongo Santamaria & J.J. Johnson. Previously Turre recorded Right There & Rhythm Within, featuring Herbie Hancock, Jon Faddis, Pharoah Sanders, & Sanctified Shells, on Verve's subsidiary label, Antilles.

Steve Turre continually evolves as a musician & arranger. He has a strong command of all musical genres & when it comes to his distinct brand of (J)azz, he always keeps one foot in the past & one in the future.

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plays 'Sea Shell'; w/ taiko accompaniment in Nihon (ends abruptly) / Dizzy Gillespie 'N The United Nation Orchestra

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FYI: Event Description/Detailz requested *updatez* - TBA

 -  O-! aka of "D" Dolores Petersen & Jo- Ito-X aka DojO- [ltd. In-Kind @ lg.] on behalf of The 'new' World STAGE

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