Mark Turner is admired for his exploratory intellect and intimate expressivity on the tenor saxophone, but also for his classically-influenced compositional style. Turner also stands out for his original sources of inspiration. For example, his album The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man is based on the eponymous Harlem Renaissance novel by James Weldon Johnson from 1912. Like the book, the album explores issues of race, class, and cultural identity. Turner incorporates passages written by Johnson into his compositions, revisiting the themes from a contemporary perspective.

What’s striking about the Mark Turner Quartet is the ingenious interplay between Turner’s tenor sax and Jason Palmer’s trumpet. Circling around them is the piano playing of David Virelles, backed by the double bass of Matt Brewer, and the drums of Damion Reid. The result is an open sound that offers equal space to each of the musicians. Mark Turner has previously played sold-out performances on our stage as a member of Fly, the all-star trio with double bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard. He also presented albums here based on science fiction books by Ursula K. Le Guin and Stanisłav Lem. Both albums appeared on ECM Records.

Mark Turner tenor sax/voice, Jason Palmer trumpet, David Virelles piano, Matt Brewer bass, Damion Reid drums