Search - Mark Turner :: In This World

As on his eponymous debut, tenor saxophonist Mark Turner takes his sophomore release into and beyond the territory that was once almost exclusively associated with the likes of pianist Lennie Tristano and alto saxist Lee Konitz. With fellow Warner Bros. artist Brad Mehldau on piano, Turner makes a compelling player of intricate "cool" melodies even while using them as launch-offs for more visceral solos. His playing has a short-phrase logic, favoring nuggetized turns and twists over elaborate technical displays. He nods to Tristano on "Lennie's Groove," and sounds a tad like Warne Marsh when sporting the melody. Turner also cues up a touching Duke Pearson ballad, "You Know I Care," but his take on the Beatles tune "He Said, She Said" smacks too much of a rote move. It doesn't lessen this otherwise solid confirmation that Turner is here to stay. --Andrew Bartlett