Mark Turner

Mark Turner (born November 10, 1965) is a jazz saxophonist and clarinetist with several recordings to his credit.

Biographical information
Born in Fairborn, Ohio, and raised in the small Southern California town of Palos Verdes, Turner originally intended to become a commercial artist. In elementary school he played the clarinet, followed by the alto and tenor saxophones in high school. He graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1990 before moving to New York. Turner worked at Tower Records in New York City for an extended period before working full time as a jazz musician.

In early November 2008 Turner injured two fingers on one of his hands with a power saw, but as of late February 2009 (after a rapid recovery of four months) was performing again with the Edward Simon Quartet at the Village Vanguard.

Style and influences
Mark Turner's sound is reminiscent of that of Warne Marsh, in that he often produces a somewhat dry, woody tone. He also has elements of John Coltrane in his playing. Turner has mentioned both Marsh and Coltrane as influences, and has used elements of both players' styles in his music without resorting to mimicry. Turner's range extends seamlessly into the high altissimo register. His improvised lines tend to be harmonically and rhythmically convoluted while maintaining melodic coherence. His compositions often make use of repeated patterns, odd-metered time signatures, intervallic leaps, and a selective use of space.

Musical Associations
Mark Turner has regularly collaborated with Kurt Rosenwinkel, Larry Grenadier, and Jeff Ballard, and has formed various collectives that include these musicians (M.T.B. and prominently, FLY). He has also played with the influential Dave Holland Big Band. In 2003 Turner collaborated with alto saxophonist Gary Foster in a special concert billed as "Mark Turner and Friends". Although Turner has recorded fewer than 10 albums under his name, he is a prolific sideman, playing on dozens of other jazz recordings going back to the early 90's.

As leader

 * Yam Yam (Criss-Cross, 1995)
 * The Music of Mercedes Rossy (Fresh Sound, 1998)
 * Mark Turner (Warner Bros., 1998)
 * In This World (Warner Bros., 1998)
 * Two Tenor Ballads (Criss Cross, 2000)
 * Ballad Session (Warner Bros., 2000)
 * Dharma Days (Warner Bros., 2001)

Fly (band)
 * Fly (Savoy Jazz, 2004)
 * Sky & Country (ECM, 2009)
 * Year of the Snake (ECM, 2012)

As sideman
With Ryan Kisor With Jonny King With Edward Simon With Aaron Goldberg With Jon Gordon With George Colligan With Seamus Blake With Guillermo Klein With Chris Cheek With Lee Konitz With Joshua Redman With Matthias Lupri With Kurt Rosenwinkel With OAM Trio With Jaleel Shaw With Omer Avital With Billy Hart With David Binney With Baptiste Trotignon With Enrico Rava With Diego Barber With Mikkel Ploug Group With Jochen Rueckert (Pirouet, 2011) With Gilad Hekselman (Le Chant du Monde, 2011) With SF Jazz Collective (SFJAZZ, 2011)
 * On the One (Columbia, 1993)
 * In from the Cold (Criss Cross Jazz, 1994)
 * Edward Simon (Kokopeli, 1995)
 * La Bikina (Mythology, 1998)
 * Turning Point (J Curve, 1999)
 * Home (Sunnyside, 2007)
 * Witness (Criss Cross, 1996)
 * Along the Way (Criss Cross, 1997)
 * Possibilities (Double-Time, 2000)
 * Newcomer (Steeplechase, 1997)
 * Four Track Mind (Criss Cross, 1997)
 * Minotauro (Candid, 1997)
 * A Girl Named Joe (Fresh Sound New Talent, 1998)
 * Paralells (Chesky, 2000)
 * Beyond (Warner Bros, 2000)
 * Same Time Twice (Summit, 2002)
 * After Hours (Summit, 2010)
 * The Enemies of Energy (Verve, 2000)
 * The Next Step (Verve, 2001)
 * Heartcore (Verve, 2003)
 * The Remedy: Live at the Village Vanguard (ArtistShare, 2009)
 * OAM Trio & Mark Turner Live in Sevilla (Lola!, 2002)
 * Now and Here (Nuba, 2009)
 * Perspective (Fresh Sound, 2004)
 * Asking No Permission (Smalls, 2006)
 * The Ancient Art of Giving (Smalls, 2006)
 * Quartet (High Note, 2006)
 * Cities and Desire (Criss Cross, 2006)
 * Barefooted Town (Criss Cross, 2011)
 * Mikkel Ploug Group (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2007)
 * Harmoniehof (New Talent, 2008)
 * Share (Naïve, 2008)
 * New York Days (ECM, 2009)
 * Calima (Sunnyside, 2009)
 * Someone Meeting Nobody
 * Hearts Wide Open
 * Music of Stevie Wonder