Last night we attended a concert by the Airmen of Note, the US Airforce Jazz Band. These guys are the top of the crop and at the top of their game. And the concerts are FREE. Every year they host a Jazz Heritage Series featuring professional jazz artists. Last night featured Steve Turre. Turre is a trombone celeb, a member of the SNL band since the 80s, and not only that, he turns conch shells into jazz instruments! Whaaaaattt?
Seashellist, Steve Turre
You call a guy who plays the trombone a trombonist. What do you call a guy who plays a conch shell? A conchist? Maybe you call him crazy, but Steve Turre makes some amazing music as a seashellist. My computer keeps trying to correct it, so he must be ahead of the curve. He leads a shell choir called Sanctified Shells – you can check it out on Youtube. On top of that, he’s an awesome composer and arranger of blues, jazz, and something like a mix of naive shell sounds with a Latin beat.
Close to the Bone
He wrote a couple of tunes dedicated to Ray Charles, most notably, “Ray Charles’ Collard Greens,” as well as arrangements inspired by JJ Johnson, a virtuoso of jazz trombone. Crowd pleasers included “My Shining Hour,” featuring vocalist Tech Sgt. Paige Wroble, and “My Funny Valentine,” transposed for the male trombone voice.
Note-worthy Men
The band rocked. The trumpet lead, Sr Master Sgt Brian MacDonald, is a flawless player. I really admire his efficient approach. He gets a lot out of what seems like a little effort. Brian plays a Conn Constellation, a tried-and-true vintage horn. Chief Master Sgt Tim Leahy played a burnin’ bebop solo over Cherokee changes, which change every bar. Barry Sax player, Master Sgt Doug Morgan, came out of the shadows so play a seriously fast solo on the final tune. Steve couldn’t leave the evening without featuring the trombone section, who ripped it up, trading solos and chewing up those collard greens. The bass bone player, Tech Sgt Ben Polk, created a nice, fat foundation for the section. Great concert all around with exceptional players.
Next up, Terell Stafford!
Free Jazz
Randy J Mueller 
I was there, too. What a tight band and what a character as a guest artist! He’s head and shoulders above others because he thinks in a completely different way.
Hey, sorry we didn’t see you! We will be going to the last of the three heritage series in November so will look for you.
Seems the move was a good one. I auditioned for them Soph year in college
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Not surprised I missed you last night at the Schlesinger Concert Hall–the place was packed. I guess high quality free stuff will draw a crowd. I just found out this morning that Steve will be back in the area over the Presidents’ Day weekend in February, a headliner at the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival. Regrettably, this appearance will not be free. But his combo stuff opens up another dimension. He wrote a tune called Trayvon’s Blues, a moving tribute to Trayvon Martin. Just a warning: if you go see Steve in February don’t forget your hanky.