Mark Turner
Mark Turner (born November 10, 1965) is an American jazz saxophonist.
Mark Turner
Octagon · CC BY 3.0
- Born
- 10 November 1965
- Birthplace
- Fairborn, Ohio, U.S.
- Occupation
- Musician
- Nationality
- United States
- Fields
- jazz · pop rock · jazz fusion
- Education
- Berklee College of Music · California State University and Long Beach
- Known for
- Yam Yam
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Mark Turner (born November 10, 1965) is an American jazz saxophonist.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Mark Turner. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
museum · b07793f0-bf47-4e3a-9655-f6d673479c17 · wikidata · Q1900481
In this article
Biography
Biography
Mark Turner studied at Berklee College of Music and California State University, Long Beach. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are jazz, pop rock and jazz fusion. John Coltrane, Warne Marsh and Lennie Tristano are recorded as an influence. Employment is recorded with Manhattan School of Music. Works named in the authority record are Yam Yam.
Key facts
Key facts
• Landscape — yes • Born — 10 November 1965 • Birthplace — Fairborn, Ohio, U.S. • Genre — Jazz • Occupation — Musician • Instrument — Tenor saxophone • Years Active — 1990s–present • Label — * Criss Cross Jazz • Warner Bros. • Fresh Sound • Naïve • ECM • Capri • Giant Step Arts • Loveland • Past Member Of — * Fly • SFJAZZ Collective • MTB (Brad Mehldau & Peter Bernstein) • Website — markturnerjazz.com Mark Turner (born November 10, 1965) is an American jazz saxophonist.
Biography
Biography
Born on November 10, 1965, in Fairborn, Ohio, and raised in Palos Verdes Estates, 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 attended California State University, Long Beach, in the 1980s (playing in the jazz ensembles) and then transferred to and 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, he was performing again with the Edward Simon Quartet at the Village Vanguard. He is married to the psychiatrist and anthropologist Helena Hansen.
Musical associations
Musical associations
• Illustration — Turner with the Fly trio in 2010; from left: Turner, Larry Grenadier, and Jeff Ballard In September 2014, Turner released his first album as a leader since 2001, on ECM Records; it features trumpeter Avishai Cohen, bassist Joe Martin, and drummer Marcus Gilmore. Turner is a member of the trio Fly, which includes himself, bassist Larry Grenadier, and drummer Jeff Ballard. He also appears in guitarist Gilad Hekselman's Quartet, and drummer Billy Hart's Quartet. Turner has recorded extensively with guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, saxophonist David Binney, and pianist Aaron Goldberg, among others. He has played or collaborated with over 45 jazz bands. In 2018 and 2019 alone, he played on eight different jazz albums as a sideman or collaborator.
As leader/co-leader
As leader/co-leader
• Yam Yam (Criss Cross, 1995) • Warner Jams Vol. 2: The Two Tenors (Warner Bros., 1997) with James Moody • Mark Turner (Warner Bros., 1998) – rec. recorded 1995 • In This World (Warner Bros., 1998) • The Music of Mercedes Rossy (Fresh Sound, 1998) – compositions by Mercedes Rossy • Ballad Session (Warner Bros., 2000) – rec. recorded 1999 • Two Tenor Ballads (Criss Cross, 2000) • Dharma Days (Warner Bros., 2001) • Dusk Is a Quiet Place (Naïve, 2013) with Baptiste Trotignon • Lathe of Heaven (ECM, 2014) – rec. recorded 2013 • Temporary Kings (ECM, 2018) with Ethan Iverson – rec. recorded 2017 • Mark Turner Meets Gary Foster (Capri, 2019)[2CD] with Gary Foster – live; rec. recorded 2003 • Where Are You? (Fresh Sound, 2019) with Kevin Hays and Marc Miralta – rec. recorded 2018 • Return from the Stars (ECM, 2022) – rec. recorded 2019 • Live at the Village Vanguard (Giant Step Arts, 2023) – rec. recorded 2022 • Reflections On: The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man (Giant Step Arts, 2025) • We Raise Them to Lift Their Heads (Loveland, 2025) – rec. recorded 2019 • Patternmaster (ECM, 2026) – rec. recorded 2024
As member
As member
Fly (With Larry Grenadier and Jeff Ballard) • Fly (Savoy, 2004) • Sky & Country (ECM, 2009) • Year of the Snake (ECM, 2012) SFJAZZ Collective • Wonder (SFJAZZ, 2012) MTB (With Brad Mehldau and Peter Bernstein) • Consenting Adults (Criss Cross, 2000) – rec. recorded 1994 • Solid Jackson (Criss Cross, 2024) – rec. recorded 2023
As sideman
As sideman
Sources: With Reid Anderson • Dirty Show Tunes (Fresh Sound, 1997) • Abolish Bad Architecture (Fresh Sound, 1999) With Omer Avital • Asking No Permission (Smalls, 2005 [1996]) – live • The Ancient Art of Giving (Smalls, 2006) With David Binney • Barefooted Town (Criss Cross, 2011) • Cities and Desire (Criss Cross, 2006) With Jakob Bro • Sidetracked (Loveland, 2005) • Pearl River (Loveland, 2007) With George Colligan • Constant Source (SteepleChase, 2000) • The Newcomer (SteepleChase, 1997) • Unresolved (Fresh Sound, 1999) With Benoît Delbecq • Phonetics (Songlines, 2005) • Spots on Stripes (Clean Feed, 2018) With Aaron Goldberg • Turning Point (J-Curve, 1999) • Home (Sunnyside, 2010) With Jon Gordon • Witness (Criss Cross, 1996) • Along the Way (Criss Cross, 1997) With Tom Harrell • Trip (HighNote, 2014) • Infinity (HighNote, 2019) With Billy Hart • Billy Hart Quartet (HighNote, 2005) • All Our Reasons (ECM, 2011) • One Is the Other (ECM, 2013) • Multidirectional (Smoke Sessions, 2023) With Gilad Hekselman • Hearts Wide Open (Le Chant du Monde, 2011) • This Just In (Jazz Village, 2013) With Matthias Lupri • Same Time Twice (Summit, 2002) • Transition Sonic (Summit, 2004) With Ibrahim Maalouf • Wind (Mi'ster, 2012) • Kalthoum (Mi'ster, 2015) With Joe Martin • Passage (Fresh Sound, 2002 [2001]) • Etoilee (Sunnyside, 2019 [2018]) With Kurt Rosenwinkel • The Enemies of Energy (Verve, 2000 [1996]) • The Next Step (Verve, 2000 [2000]) • Heartcore (Verve, 2003 [2001–03]) • The Remedy (ArtistShare, 2008 [2006])[2-CD] – live • Caipi (Razdaz, 2017 [2007–17]) With Jochen Rueckert • Somewhere Meeting Nobody (Pirouet, 2011) • We Make the Rules (Whirlwind, 2014) • Charm Offensive (Pirouet, 2016) With Edward Simon • Edward Simon (Kokopelli, 1995) • La Bikina (Red, 2011) • Venezuelan Suite (Sunnyside, 2013) With Baptiste Trotignon • Share (Naïve, 2008) • Suite (Naïve, 2009) With David Virelles • Motion (Justin Time, 2007) • Continuum (Pi, 2012) With Miki Yamanaka • Stairway to the Stars (Outside In Music, 2021) • Shades of Rainbow (Cellar Music Group, 2023) With others • Carl Allen, Echoes of Our Heroes (Evidence, 1996) • Jeff Ballard, Fairgrounds (Edition, 2019 [2015]) – live • Diego Barber, Calima (Sunnyside, 2009) • Joao Barradas, Portrait (Nischo, 2020) • Seamus Blake, Four Track Mind (Criss Cross, 1997 [1994]) • Stefano Bollani, Joy in Spite of Everything (ECM, 2014) • Chris Cheek, A Girl Named Joe (Fresh Sound, 1998) • Yelena Eckemoff, A Touch of Radiance (L&H, 2014) • Robert Glasper, Canvas (Blue Note, 2005) • Russell Gunn, Love Requiem (HighNote, 1999) • Anke Helfrich, You'll See (Double Moon, 2002) • Jonny King, In from the Cold (Criss Cross, 1994) • Ryan Kisor, On the One (Columbia, 1993) • Lee Konitz, Parallels (Chesky, 2001) • Delfeayo Marsalis, Pontius Pilate's Decision (Novus, 1992) • Francisco Mela, Cirio (Half Note, 2008) • Ferenc Nemeth, Night Songs (Dreamers, 2007) • Josh Ottum, Like the Season (Tapete, 2006) • Leon Parker, Above & Below (Epicure, 1994) • John Patitucci, Imprint (Concord Jazz, 2000 [1999]) • Enrico Rava, New York Days (ECM, 2009) • Joshua Redman, Beyond (Warner Bros., 2000 [1999]) • Aldo Romano, The Jazzpar Prize (Enja, 2004) • Jorge Rossy, Stay There (Pirouet, 2016) • Samo Šalamon, Mamasaal feat. Mark Turner (Dometra, 2008) • Perico Sambeat, Ademuz (Fresh Sound, 1998) • Jaleel Shaw, Perspective (Fresh Sound, 2005) • Yeahwon Shin, Yeahwon (ArtistShare, 2010) • Jimmy Smith, Damn! (Verve, 1995) • Chris Wiesendanger, Urban Village (Fresh Sound, 2002) • Mark Zubek, Twentytwodollarfishlunch (Fresh Sound, 2009)
Identity
Identity
Mark Turner is recorded as having studied at Berklee College of Music and California State University, Long Beach. Formation and teaching. Turner studied at Berklee College of Music and California State University, Long Beach. His recorded influences include John Coltrane, Warne Marsh and Lennie Tristano.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1965
Mark Turner born at Fairborn.
Style and influences
• Illustration — Turner at the Oslo Jazzfestival, 2017 Turner's sound is reminiscent of that of Warne Marsh, also incorporating 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. Turner's range extends into the high altissimo register. His improvised lines tend to span several octaves and contain great harmonic and rhythmic complexity. His compositions often make use of repeated patterns, odd-metered time signatures, and intervallic leaps. Turner states that his music is "unfolding like a narrative". Accordingly, his 2014 album Lathe of Heaven is named after Ursula K. Le Guin's novel of the same title, which is based on the idea of a world where the nature of reality keeps shifting.
Primary material
Documents and archives
Institutional database
- MusicBrainz artist record for Mark Turner
Scholarly · MetaBrainz Foundation
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q1900481: Mark Turner
Reputable secondary · Wikidata
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Huey, Steve. Mark Turner Biography. All Music.
- 2.Leonard, Devin. Mark Turner Escapes the Shadow of John Coltrane. New York Observer. June 26, 2009.
- 3.Jazzweekly.com. Jazz Weekly magazine interview by Fred Jung.
- 4.National Public Radio. In Mark Turner's New Album, The Music Unfolds Like A Narrative. 4 September 2014.
- 5.Whitehead, Kevin. In Tenor Saxophonist Mark Turner's New Album, The Music Unfolds Like A Narrative. NPR.
- 6.Chinen, Nate. Follow the Leader; He's Deep in the Pack Mark Turner Quartet at the Village Vanguard. New York Times. June 20, 2013.
- 7.Collar, Matt. Fly. All Music.
- 8.Jurek, Thom. All Our Reasons. All Music.
- 9.Huey, Steve. Mark Turner. All Music.
- 10.Yam Yam.
- 11.http://www.freshsoundrecords.com/record_popup.php?record_id=62
- 12.Crisscrossjazz.com. Two Tenor Ballads.
- 13.In Tenor Saxophonist Mark Turner's New Album, The Music Unfolds Like A Narrative. NPR.
- 14.Le Gendre, Kevin. Mark Turner: Live at The Village Vanguard. Jazzwise. 291. 43. December 2023 – January 2024.
- 15.Lyles, R. Mark Turner Discography, accessed May 7, 2019
- 16.Shipton, Alyn. Billy Hart: Multidirectional. Jazzwise. 313. 48. December 2025 – January 2026.
- 17.ebay. Lee Konitz super audio CD SACD Parallels USA SACD240 CHESKY Audiophile 2002.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
Institutional database
MusicBrainz artist record for Mark TurnerMetaBrainz Foundation
Institutional witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 15 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Music memorabilia
42,307 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Mark StoermerPerson
- Mark TaylorPerson
- Mark TornilloPerson
- Mark TremontiPerson
- Mark WattersPerson
- Mark WhitakerPerson
- Mark WhitfieldPerson
- Mark WillsPerson
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Mark Turner?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.