Joe Turner (Jazzpianist)

Joseph H. "Joe" Turner ( born November 3, 1907 in Baltimore, Maryland; † 21 July 1990 ) was an American jazz pianist and singer.

Life and work

Joe Turner became famous when he appeared as a stride pianist in the New York jazz scene of the 1920s and worked with Jimmy Harrison and June Clark; In 1928 he was one of the band of Benny Carter, in the 30s he also accompanied the singer Adelaide Hall and played with Louis Armstrong. End of the 30s he worked in Europe; at the outbreak of World War II, he returned to the United States and did his military service. After the war he worked again in Europe and toured in the 1950s with Bill Coleman and Albert Nicholas in Germany. He lived first in Hungary, then in Switzerland, and finally in Paris in 1962. In the 70s, made ​​recordings with Slam Stewart, Jo Jones and Panama Francis for the label Black & Blue; in the 1980s he took again for various American label, and had in his home country some performances.

Joe Turner, who is considered one of the most prestigious Harlem stride pianist in the style of Fats Waller and James P. Johnson said in an interview with Nat Hentoff and Nat Shapiro: " Benny Carter said to me: " If you come to Toledo, then go because nowhere and play the piano. Since I know a fact, who is blind and is called Art Tatum, and you can not hold a candle. " "

Disco Graphical Notes

• Sweet and Lovely ( Vogue, 1952)
• The Giant of stride piano in Switzerland (jazz connoisseur, 1955-1959 ) with Werner This, Curt Prina, Dennis Armitage, Sunny Lang, John Ward
• Stride by Stride, Vol 1 ( Solo Type, 1960)
• Joe Turner ( Black & Blue, 1971-1974 ) with Slam Stewart, Jo Jones and Panama Francis
• Another Epoch - Stride Piano ( Pablo Records, 1975/1976 )
• I Understand ( Black & Blue, 1979)