Steve Turre

[Milestones]

Any fans of Steve Turre?

I find him to be one of the great trombone men, and of course he does those interestint things with the shells. I have 9 records by him, as well as work he did with Lester Bowie, Dizzy, Tyner, and many others. He's got a new one out, Spiritman, and I should look into that.

For me, Rhythm Within and Lotus Flower were not just two of the best records of the 1990s, but two of the best ever. I come back to them frequently and thoroughly enjoy them.

[gmonahan]

Very fine trombonist. I like "One 4 J," his tribute album to J. J. Johnson.

gregmo

[kh1958]

I heard him live a few times--most memorably paired with Woody Shaw; also in a larger group led by Dizzy Gillespie. On CD, I have Spirits Up Above and Delightful and Delicious, both good recordings.

[mjazzg]

Always enjoy his contributions to Brass Fantasy

[marcello]

I'm not crazy about the shells.

Recorded: Feb 7, 1987-Feb 8, 1987
Personnel: Akua Dixon Cello, Jon Faddis Trumpet, Jerry Gonzalez Conga, Haywood Henry clarinet, Mulgrew Miller Piano, Idris Muhammad Drums, Manny Oquendo Timbales, Steve Turre Trombone, Arranger, Peter Washington Bass

Edited March 29, 2015 by marcello

[clifford_thornton]

Indeed, good player - saw him live once or twice - though I haven't delved too deeply into his discography either. He led that Vibration Society Rahsaan tribute group, IIRC.

[xybert]

I used to have Rainbow People which was a nice straight ahead album with a couple of stand out tracks but i traded it at some point.

[JSngry]

There's other people I think about first.

[Larry Kart]

I'm taken with the balls-to-the-wall approach of Luis Bonilla:

[corto maltese]

I saw him live only once, I think, back in the 1990s with Jimmy Bosch, both playing some exuberant trombone. In fact, it's one of those jazz musicians that I like very much playing in a salsa dura context, but whose straight jazz work I'm not really familiar with.

[relyles]

I'm taken with the balls-to-the-wall approach of Luis Bonilla:

My daughter plays trombone in her high school jazz band and at a performance last week Luis Bonilla was the guest artist and she had a very good time playing with him.

I have 8 of Turre's recordings as a leader, including the most recent disc on Smoke Sessions. Unlike the other recordings on the label it is a studio date as opposed to a live recording. I have listened to it a few times in the car. While solid, it has yet to really grab my attention. It feels a bit muted compared to other recordings with Turre that I have heard.

[BillF]

I saw Steve Turre twice in the 90s in big bands. My memory fails me on which bands they were - was one the Carla Bley Orchestra? On each occasion he did his seashell bit.

I agree that One 4 J is a nice album and I also like the Woody Shaw date The Time Is Right on which he appears.

I've just come across his recent one on Spotify and am giving it a first listen:

He is more or less unnoticed in my record collection as a sideman on Horace Silver's Hardbop Grandpop. His Wikipedia entry shows a formidable discography, particularly as a sideman:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Turre

Edited March 30, 2015 by BillF

[sidewinder]

I saw Steve Turre back in the 1980s with Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy and before that - with the Woody Shaw Quintet. Enjoyed both but the Shaw Quintet particularly stands out. Was particularly struck with the trumpet/trombone unison leads that they put together - as good in its way as Terry/Brookmeyer.

Also caught him in the lineup for a Dizzy Gillespie Tribute Big Band. I'll have to check out that 'Smoke sessions' CD.

Edited March 30, 2015 by sidewinder

[BillF]

Also caught him in the lineup for a Dizzy Gillespie Tribute Big band.

Ah yes, that's it. I remember now. The two big bands I saw him in were the Carla Bley Orchestra and the Dizzy Gillespie United Nations Orchestra.

[sidewinder]

Didn't see the 'United Nations' Orchestra Bill but the one I saw was obviously drawn from the ranks of that band an earlier Gillespie lineups (Melba Liston sat in with the trombones). It was several years after Gillespie's passing. Some fine trombonists in the lineup with Turre - Garnett Brown and George Bohannon I think.

[Milestones]

I never knew him to play with Carla Bley (at least on record); Gary Valente always seems the go-to man on trombone in her groups. In fact I only know his fabulous work with her big band (and smaller groups).

Turre has got impressive credits with Shaw, Dizzy, Tyner, Bowie He seemed to have a distinctive thing going on as a leader in the 1990.s I love that front-line of trombone-violin-cello on Lotus Flower.

A favorite is "Ellington Medley" on In the Spur of the Moment. The only other trombonist that I can think of who does really cool Ellington stuff is Wycliffe Gordon.

[BillF]

I never knew him to play with Carla Bley (at least on record); Gary Valente always seems the go-to man on trombone in her groups. In fact I only know his fabulous work with her big band (and smaller groups).

Now I'm having doubts if it was Carla Bley I saw him with. As you remind me, Gary Valente was certainly featured in the concert I went to, along with the recently departed Lew Soloff and Victor Lewis on drums. What an amazing trombonist Valente was and is - he sounded like a latter day Kid Ory!

[A Lark Ascending]

I saw him (with seashells) with the Latin band McCoy Tyner had about 15-20 years back (there was a record). Kenny Garrett's band did the first half during his rapper phase. Think it was The Barbican.

[sidewinder]

I never knew him to play with Carla Bley (at least on record); Gary Valente always seems the go-to man on trombone in her groups. In fact I only know his fabulous work with her big band (and smaller groups).

Now I'm having doubts if it was Carla Bley I saw him with. As you remind me, Gary Valente was certainly featured in the concert I went to, along with the recently departed Lew Soloff and Victor Lewis on drums. What an amazing trombonist Valente was and is - he sounded like a latter day Kid Ory!

It would be Gary Valente, for sure.

[Steve Reynolds]

I never knew him to play with Carla Bley (at least on record); Gary Valente always seems the go-to man on trombone in her groups. In fact I only know his fabulous work with her big band (and smaller groups).

Turre has got impressive credits with Shaw, Dizzy, Tyner, Bowie He seemed to have a distinctive thing going on as a leader in the 1990.s I love that front-line of trombone-violin-cello on Lotus Flower.

A favorite is "Ellington Medley" on In the Spur of the Moment. The only other trombonist that I can think of who does really cool Ellington stuff is Wycliffe Gordon.

Wolter Wierbos with ICP or Available Jelly

Fwiw - Ray Anderson I'm sure has played a bit of Ellington and in his way is the most Ellintonian of any trombonist outside of the actual trombonists who played in Duke's band.

[mjazzg]

I saw him (with seashells) with the Latin band McCoy Tyner had about 15-20 years back (there was a record). Kenny Garrett's band did the first half during his rapper phase. Think it was The Barbican.

I was there. Remember the Tyner (with Gary Bartz?) a lot more than the Garrett