Saturday 3 November 2018

Joe Turner born 3 November 1903


Joseph H. Turner (November 3, 1907 – July 21, 1990) was an American jazz pianist.

Though endlessly confused with the singer Big Joe Turner, pianist Joe Turner came from a completely different direction, following the James P. Johnson/Fats Waller stride tradition, armed with a
superb technique and a fine sense of swing.

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, he started to learn the piano from his mother at age five and began to make a name for himself in Harlem as a teenager shortly after his move to New York in 1925. Turner got his first big musical break in 1928 with his hiring by the Benny Carter Orchestra and Louis Armstrong in 1929-30

He was an accompanist to Adelaide Hall in a duo, first with Alex Hill and then Francis Carter, the latter with whom he and Hill toured Europe in 1931, after which he stayed as a solo act. 

He resided first in Czechoslovakia, then Hungary, and France where he remained until 1939.He was chosen for Goudie’s second recording under his own name on the jazz-friendly Swing label, May 28, 1939.  Four days earlier he’d been in a session for alto saxist Andre Ekyan that included Goudie, Django and drummer Tommy Benford. When war broke out he returned to the U.S. to work as a singer. 

He was drafted in World War II, and played piano in Sy Oliver's army band in 1944-1945 and Rex Stewart in 1946, Turner returned to the continent, residing in Hungary in 1948 and then Switzerland from 1949 to 1962. 


Here's "Smashing Thirds" recorded in Basel, April 18. 1958. 
                            Taken from above album.

                           

He settled in Paris in 1962 in a residency at La Calvados, continued to play engagements elsewhere in Europe.

In 1976 he returned to the United States and played at the Cookery in New York City, where his stride piano style was acclaimed anew. He eventually survived to become the last major active stride pianist of his era.  He contined to play at  La Calavados, a nightclub situated near the Champs Elysees until his death from a heart attack in 1990 in Montreuil, near Paris, at the age of 82.

(Compiled and edited from Wikipedia, AllMusic, jazzhotbigstep & LA Times)

3 comments:

boppinbob said...

For “Joe Turner (Piano): The Giant Of Stride Piano In Switzerland 1950 – 1959” go here:

https://www.upload.ee/files/9148519/Joe_Turner-_Giant_of_Stride_Piano.rar.html

1 How High The Moon (Zurich, 1950)
2 Begin The Beguine (Zurich, 1950)
3 Twelfth Street Rag (Zurich, 1950)
4 Royal Garden Blues / Honeysuckle Rose (Zurich, 1950)
5 I've Found A New Baby (Basel, April 26, 1955)
6 Honey Hush (Basel, April 26, 1955)
7 Tea For Two (Basel, April 26, 1955)
8 I'm Crazy 'bout My Baby (Basel, April 26, 1955)
9 Royal Garden Blues (Basel, April 26, 1955)
10 Honeysuckle Rose (Basel, April 26, 1955)
11 Carolina Shout (Basel, April 26, 1955)
12 Sunday Girl (Basel, April 26, 1955)
13 Honeysuckle Rose (Schlieren, Febr. 24, 1958)
14 Ain't Misbehavin' (Schlieren, Febr. 24, 1958)
15 I'm Crazy 'bout My Baby (Schlieren, Febr. 24, 1958)
16 Joe's Blues (Schlieren, Febr. 24, 1958)
17 Love Me (Basel, April 18, 1958)
18 Smashing Thirds (Basel, April 18, 1958)
19 Ready For The River (Basel, April 18, 1958)
20 Ready For The River (Riehen, May 7, 1958)
21 No Idea (Riehen, May 7, 1958)
22 Sweet Georgia Brown (Riehen, May 7, 1958)
23 Isn't It Romantic (Zurich, October 2, 1959)
24 Rosetta (Zurich, October 2, 1959)

boppinbob said...


For “Joe Turner - Joe's Back In Town” go here:

https://www34.zippyshare.com/v/CA9tKpeH/file.html

[2:28] 1. Harlem Strut
[2:42] 2. Pastel
[2:46] 3. Honeysuckle Rose
[2:53] 4. Jitterburg Waltz
[3:30] 5. Tea For Two
[2:31] 6. Sweet Georgia Brown
[3:11] 7. Honey Hush
[2:15] 8. Route 66
[1:59] 9. Keep Off The Grass
[2:36] 10. Lulu's Back In Town
[1:59] 11. Thou Swell
[2:19] 12. Rejane Boogie
[1:57] 13. Argentina
[2:00] 14. Thou Swell (Take 4)
[3:09] 15. Tea For Two (Take 2)
[3:25] 16. Pastel (Take 1)
[2:16] 17. Route 66 (Take 3)
[3:14] 18. Honey Hush (Take 1)
[2:25] 19. Harlem Strut (Take 2)
[3:37] 20. I Cover The Waterfront
[2:39] 21. Route 66 (Take 2)

JOE TURNER, piano, vocals; ROLAND LOBLIGEOIS, bass; PANAMA FRANCIS, drums. Recorded in Paris, France, May 22, 1974.

Recorded over 30 years ago in Paris, this excellent album hasn't been available in what seems an eternity! Joe does Honey Hush; Harlem Strut; Sweet Georgia Brown; Thou Swell; Route 66 , and more. 21 tracks!

Thanks to mat.tiggas @ Silky Denims blog for active link.

rm said...

thank you very much!!!