Steve Turre is a trombonist and seashellist who are two of the most important jazz innovators around. He has won both the Critics’ and Readers’ polls in JazzTimes and Downbeat for Best Trombone, and Best Miscellaneous Instrumentalist (shells) multiple times. Turre was the son of Mexican-American parents. He grew up in San Francisco Bay, where he got daily doses blues, mariachi and jazz. He joined the Escovedo Brothers salsa group while attending Sacramento State University. This was the beginning of his long-lasting involvement in this genre. Ray Charles, who hired Steve Turre to tour in 1972, gave Turre’s career a boost. Turre was introduced to Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers by Woody Shaw, his mentor. Turre worked with a variety of musicians in jazz, latin and pop music after his time with Blakey. Turre was introduced to the seashell by his friend. Turre was soon informed by his relatives that his ancestors had also played the shells while he was touring Mexico City with Woody Shaw. Turre has been incorporating seashells into his musical styles ever since. Turre is a Saturday Night Live Band member since 1984 and also leads several ensembles. Sanctified Shells uses the seashell in a wider context. His horn section is transformed into a “shell chorus” and Sanctified shells does the same. Turre’s spring 1999 Verve release, Lotus Flower features his Sextet with Strings. Turre’s arrangements of original compositions and standards are featured on the recording. Turre’s quintet and quartet provide a musical setting that is both traditional and innovative conceptually. Telarc’s Summer 2000 release was In The Spur of the Moment. This recording features Steve in three distinct quartets with different master pianists: Ray Charles and Chucho Valdes. Stephen Scott is also featured. Turre’s Verve album, self-titled, pioneers an original artistic vision that draws upon jazz, afrocuban, and brazilian influences. The innovative recording features Cassandra Wilson and Randy Brecker as well as Mongo Santamaria, Graciela, J.J. Johnson, and Mongo Santamaria. Turre previously recorded Right There and Rhythm Within with Jon Faddis and Pharoah Bernies on Verve’s Antilles subsidiary label. You can also find user-contributed text under the Creative Commons By–SA License.
