Turk Mauro's Top 10

Recently we took a poll from jazz musicians from all over the state of Florida, to come up with a relevant Top 50 Jazz Albums list. The results were an education in the sounds that influence and delight the artists who make the music. The lists were so diverse and intriguing, we decided to post some of them individually. First up - Turk Mauro!

Turk in Paris, 1984

Saxophone legend Turk Mauro was born in NYC on June 11th, 1944. First exposed to jazz through hearing his father Don play in local swing bands, he picked up the clarinet at 10 and the alto at age 14; and found work quickly thanks in part to his mentor Harry Allen. After graduating High School, he tried 'real work' for a while, but was soon back in jazz bands touring. After a few gigs with Dizzie Gillespie, Turk's musicianship and prowess landed him a permanent spot in Buddy Rich's band from 1976 to 1979; appearing on Buddy's albums "Speak No Evil" and the posthumously released "Wham!". He then embarked on a solo recording career while still doing sideman work. His fine releases include "The Truth", "Hittin' the Jug" (a tribute to Gene Ammons), "The Underdog" (his solo debut) and "The Heavyweight".


After a long stay in Paris, Mauro moved to Hollywood, FL in 1994. You can catch his brilliant and soulful artistry every Monday night with his quartet; at the new jazz club Blue Jean Blues in Fort Lauderdale from 8-12.


Turk's Top 10 Favorite Jazz Albums:


1. Jazz at Massey Hall - Dizzy  Bird  Bud  Max  Mingus
2. Bird with Strings - Charlie Parker
3. All JATP recordings
4. Atomic Basie - Count Basie
5. Kind of Blue - Miles Davis
6. The You and Me That Used to Be - Jimmy Rushing 
 "Jimmy Rushings last recording with Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Ray Nance, Budd Johnson, Milt Hinton,  Mel Lewis & Dave Frishberg - piano/arranger. The material and musicians are superior and inspired and SWINGING!!!"
7. Boss Tenors in Orbit - Gene Ammons/Sonny Stitt (and Donald Patterson)
8. The Bridge - Sonny Rollins (with Jim Hall)
9. Duke Ellington - The 1940 Band (Ben Webster, Jimmy Blanton)
10. Louis Armstrong - Hot 5 and 7  


Below is a recent video of Turk Mauro playing My Romance with some fine South Florida musicians!




A big thanks to Turk for taking part in our poll! Keep on swingin'! - PCJ

Zach Bartholomew Trio at Three Dogs Grille

Palm Coast Jazz had the pleasure to catch the 3rd set of the much-hyped appearance of the Zach Bartholomew Trio at the Three Dogs Grille. The group came down from Tallahassee to give us a taste of what's developing and flourishing in the capital.

Zach Bartholomew Trio - 2/15/12

I must say I was immediately taken with the maturity of sound coming from these 3 twenty-somethings. Bartholomew is definitely his own man stylistically and shows all the confidence and prowess of a player twice his age. The trio has melded into a wily and flexible unit that manages, like most famous piano trios, to give the listener several angles to focus on, while never losing cohesiveness or taste.


The overall effect of the music is easy-going, comforting, intelligent, always swinging, with enough passages of intensity and passion to keep your ears in focus-mode. The set began with a smart and simple turn through Herbie's "Dolphin Dance". Once the band got warm, the interplay and freedom was pleasantly reminiscent of Bill Evan's classic line-up with LaFaro and Motian.

Fascinatin' Rhythm...

Zach then launched into a samba version of "Ladybird" that was both engaging and dreamy, thanks to a repeated single-note figure that began and ended the fresh interpretation.

Miles Bozeman

Broader harmonies and a more angular approach followed in Chick Corea's jazz waltz "Windows" and Cole Porter's "I Love You"; and the night ended on a real nice high with a downright brilliant version of Rodgers and Hart's "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" - arranged in 5/4, perhaps the best and most comfortable 5 I've heard live in FL so far.

Brandon Robertson

Zach Bartholomew, Brandon Robertson (bass) and Miles Bozeman (drums) met in FSU, and have been playing together for a few years now. Just a few weeks ago they went into the recording studio to lay down their debut album, comprised of originals and some of their crafty arrangements. We can't wait and will definitely be featuring a track or two on our podcast when "Out of This Town" is released! They should be back here in PC after the cd drops - if you are looking for the real deal - catching this trio is a must!


Click here to visit their facebook page (and click that 'like button').


Kudos to Three Dogs Grille owners Bob Plugge and Barry Markey - who assure us that they are 'in it' for the long haul - in other words, jazz has taken up permanent residency here in Palm Coast. Next time you see them - let them know you love jazz and appreciate what they're doing. Til next time! - PCJ

Zach Bartholomew