Steve Turre

One of the finest trombonists of the 1980s and '90s, Steve Turre also introduced the conch shells to jazz. After a brief period on violin, he switched to trombone when he was ten. Turre worked locally from age 13, played with Rahsaan Roland Kirk off and on from 1968, recorded with Santana in 1970, and in 1972 toured with Ray Charles. Turre had many diverse musical experiences in the '70s including tours with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra (both in 1973), an opportunity to play trombone and electric bass regularly with Chico Hamilton (1974-1976), and recording with Woody Shaw and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. Kirk inspired Turre to play exotic shells, and his ability to get a wide range of clear tones is quite impressive. After that time, Turre toured with McCoy Tyner, Dexter Gordon, Slide Hampton, Poncho Sanchez, Hilton Ruiz, and Tito Puente, among others. In 1987, he joined Dizzy Gillespie's United Nations Orchestra, and he also played regularly with Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy, the Leaders, and the Timeless All-Stars. Turre performed with his Sanctified Shells (a group featuring four trombonists doubling on shells, trumpeter E.J. Allen, bass, drums, and several percussionists) at the 1995 Monterey Jazz Festival and has recorded as a leader for Stash, Antilles, Verve, and Telarc. Rainbow People, recorded in 2007 at Knoop Studios in New Jersey, appeared in 2008 from Highnote Records. Delicious and Delightful followed in 2010. In early 2012, Turre realized his longstanding ambition to cut a tribute to the late Woody Shaw, whose road and recording bands he had played with for eight years, from 1981-1989. The album, Woody's Delight, featured the talents of alternating trumpets players Wallace Roney, Jon Faddis, Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros, and Claudio Roditi; it also introduced a new star on the horn, 23-year-old Freddie Hendrix. In the summer of 2013, Turre released The Bones of Art, an album that showcased a multi-trombone frontline comprised of himself, Frank Lacy, Robin Eubanks, and Steve Davis.