Steve Turré
(b. 1948 -- wow, he looks a lot younger!)
is one of today's stars on the jazz
trombone.
He has played with
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Santana,
Art Blakey and the
Jazz Messengers, the
Thad Jones/
Mel Lewis
Orchestra,
Elvin Jones,
Woody Shaw,
Max Roach,
Cedar Walton,
Lester Bowie's
Jazz Fantasy
and
Ray Charles,
just to mention a few. He is regularly a part
of the
Saturday Night Live band.
Part of his
success has been due to his embracing conch shells
as a musical instrument. One blows into the end as
one would a brass instrument and modulates the tone
by putting one's fingers into the shell partway.
He formed an ensemble of trombonists who play the
shells called Sanctified Shells.
As interesting and novel as his shell playing is,
one shouldn't be distracted from his mastery of the
trombone.