Biography

Steve Turre (b. 1948) has established himself as one of the best jazz trombonists around. Born to Mexican-American parents, Steve Turre grew up listening to mariachi, blues, and jazz music. He began a lifelong fascination with salsa music during his time in college, when he played with the Escovedo Brothers Salsa Band. His first break came in 1972, when Ray Charles invited him on tour. From there, his performing resume grew exponentially, including greats from the jazz and Latin worlds like McCoy Tyner, Mongo Santamaria, Tito Puente, Dizzy Gillespie, J.J. Johnson, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and Max Roach. Rashaan Roland Kirk introduced Turre to the idea of playing on seashells, and Turre’s love for the technique deepened when he learned that his ancestors also made music with seashells. Besides incorporating the shells into his performances, Turre leads the group Sanctified Shells, which functions as a “shell choir” of sorts. Although Turre makes music that engages with his roots and musical tradition, he seeks to always present something forward-thinking.