Mark Turner is a saxophonist with a tremendously lengthy track record. Raised in California, he initially started playing clarinet in school bands. After exchanging the clarinet for the saxophone, he began to study jazz seriously at the world-famous Berklee College of Music. In order to gain a foothold in New York, he took a job in a record store, but soon became a regular name in the local scene as an alto and tenor saxophonist. What followed is a career that saw him play with the likes of Brad Mehldau, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Terence Blanchard and Joshua Redman, among others. His music is deeply spiritual, he has a huge range, and a sound that is often reminiscent of John Coltrane. Turner can be heard on hundreds of albums, and recorded for the legendary labels ECM and Warner Brothers as a leader. At the festival, he is set to play with his Mark Turner Quartet.
