Spiritman, the latest release ?from trombonist and Omaha native Steve Turre, is the latest in along line of recordings that puts Turre's masterful skills as a player, bandleader and composer on full display. It covers the gamut from hard bop to ballads, to blues and funk.
Recorded last June in New York, Turre, playing both trombone and shells, is joined by Bruce Williams on alto and soprano sax, Xavier Davis on piano, Gerald Cannon on bass and Willie Jones III at the drums. Chembo Corniel adds congas on one track. Among Turre's original tunes, Highlights include the hard bop opener, Bu, a nickname for Art Blakey, whom Turre played with in the early 1970's. Funky Thing, written for the Saturday Night Live band in which Turre is a member, and Trayvon's Blues, a piece Turre wrote after the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.
The band shines brightly as they dive into the standards on the disc including Lover Man and the Gershwin classic 'S Wonderful. A lovely version of Horace Silver's Peace is a standout track as well. A heartfelt salute to the hard bop pioneer who passed away in 2014. The entire band is in fine form throughout the disc. They draw the listener in and give one the feeling that you are at a late night set at a New York club witnessing a special kind of chemistry. Turre explains the title of the disc "Spiritman" by saying "Music is about giving and about searching and so that is the spirit. Because without the spirit, music is just notes." The disc is set for release on March 10 on Smoke Sessions Records. For more information, you may visit:
www.smokesessionsrecords.com
