Jazz Articles about Mark Turner

like 298

Mark Turner: Ballad Session

by Mike Neely
July 1, 2000

Mark Turner’s Ballad Session presents a tenor saxophonist of extraordinary poise and emotional attunement. Throughout this recording Turner deftly maintains his balance, avoiding sentimentality, presenting a consistently direct emotional response to the compositions and to his fellow musicians. This disc reveals Mark Turner to be a young musician to watch carefully.

Pianist Kevin Hays is an especially attentive accompanist whose solos add to the emotional focus of this recording. Bassist Larry Grenadier plays a spare, loping bass that allows plenty ...

like 124

M.T.B.: MTB - Consenting Adults

by C. Andrew Hovan
June 1, 2000

One has to wonder why it took over five years for this 1994 recording to make its debut. Certainly the quality is up to Criss Cross standards and the spirit of the session is unquestionably robust. Still, now that Brad Mehldau, Mark Turner, and Peter Bernstein (the first letters of their last names gives us M.T.B.) have become more established artists, this peek at an earlier effort is sure to initiate some lively discussion. In the cases of Turner and ...

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Mark Turner: Ballad Session

by David Adler
March 1, 2000

This collection is beautiful, but it offers a fairly limited view of Mark Turner’s staggering talents. Of course, hearing him, guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, and pianist Kevin Hays play ballads is a great pleasure. Sensitive support from bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Brian Blade only makes it better. But the all-ballad format seems a little constrained, especially compared to the spellbinding original music Turner has been playing live lately.The repertoire for Ballad Session is quite well chosen, however. Instead ...

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Mark Turner: Ballad Session

by Mark Corroto
March 1, 2000

When I was a young man, my father would describe a particular jazz recording as being “sexy.” To a testosterone-enriched lad, Stan Getz’s music wasn’t exactly what I would call sexy. As one ages, what one finds sensual becomes more cerebral. Tenor saxophonist Mark Turner’s offering of ten ballads is that grown-up kind of sexy. This is his fourth release as a leader, two previous Warner Bros. and one on Criss Cross Jazz; all are worth going back and listening ...

like 189

Mark Turner: Ballad Session

by Mark Corroto
March 1, 2000

When I was a young man, my father would describe a particular jazz recording as being “sexy.” To a testosterone-enriched lad, Stan Getz’s music wasn’t exactly what I would call sexy. As one ages, what one finds sensual becomes more cerebral. Tenor saxophonist Mark Turner’s offering of ten ballads is that grown-up kind of sexy. This is his fourth release as a leader, two previous Warner Bros. and one on Criss Cross Jazz; all are worth going back and listening ...

like 376

Mark Turner: In This World

by Ed Kopp
December 1, 1998

A horde of promising young sax players has emerged in the 1990s, but only a few players have begun to find their voices. Mark Turner is one young saxman whose Muse has kept pace with his talent. The 33-year-old tenor saxophonist leads a band of clever young musicians on this thoughtful release, his second for Warner Brothers.Turner has developed a unique style inspired by John Coltrane's modal flights and Warne Marsh's unpredictable chordal experiments. This time Turner delivers ...