Tommy Turrentine facts for kids

Thomas Walter Turrentine, Jr. (born April 22, 1928 – died May 13, 1997) was a talented American trumpeter and composer. He was known for playing swing and hard bop jazz. Tommy, as he was called, played the trumpet from the 1940s to the 1960s. He often played with other famous musicians, like drummer Max Roach and his younger brother, the saxophonist Stanley Turrentine. Tommy was mostly known for being a "sideman," which means he played in other people's bands rather than leading his own.

Tommy Turrentine's Life Story

Tommy Turrentine was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He started his music career playing in bands with many jazz legends. Some of these famous musicians included Benny Carter, Earl Bostic, Charles Mingus, Billy Eckstine, Dizzy Gillespie, and Count Basie.

Later, Tommy recorded music with artists like Sonny Clark and Lou Donaldson. He also played in bands led by his brother, Stanley. Tommy joined the Max Roach Quintet in the late 1950s. This was an important part of his career.

Tommy was also good at playing the piano. He understood how to put chords together in a special way, similar to the famous jazz pianist Thelonious Monk. His own jazz songs, called bebop compositions, mixed strong feelings with beautiful melodies. They were inspired by musicians like Benny Golson and the exciting music of the Clifford Brown/ Max Roach Quintet.

While his brother Stanley became very famous and recorded many albums, Tommy recorded only one album under his own name. He stopped playing music professionally in the 1960s. In the 1970s, he lived in New York City. Many other jazz musicians lived on his street at that time, including Tommy Flanagan and Pharoah Sanders.

Tommy Turrentine did not play much music after the 1970s. In 1979, he played at a special concert to honor another trumpeter, Blue Mitchell, who had passed away. Tommy also appeared on an album called Blue Delight in 1989, which was made by keyboardist Sun Ra.

Tommy Turrentine passed away from cancer when he was 69 years old.

Tommy Turrentine's Music Albums

Tommy Turrentine mostly played as a sideman, but he did record one album where he was the leader.

As the Band Leader

• 1960: Tommy Turrentine (Time Records, 1960) - On this album, he played with his brother Stanley Turrentine, trombonist Julian Priester, pianist Horace Parlan, bassist Bob Boswell, and drummer Max Roach.