Pianist Ernest Turner’s latest album is an ode to black American music. “My Americana” came out earlier this month, and it features jazz compositions by Stevie Wonder, Fats Waller, Kenny Kirkland and other African-American artists. Instead of playing classic jazz standards, Turner chose to highlight black composers.
The Ernest Turner Trio joins host Frank Stasio for conversation and play live in our studio.
The musician talks to host Frank Stasio about the album and about his musical background. Turner’s mother was a piano teacher, and he grew up surrounded by music. He studied jazz in New Orleans in college, but he learned most of his skills from playing out in the music community.
Turner performs in studio with Jonathan Curry on the drums and Lance Scott on the bass. Turner is performing with the Lenora Helm Big Band on Tuesday, March 26 at the Hayti Heritage Center in Durham. He is performing with the Brian Horton Quartet on Saturday, March 30 at the Sharp 9 Jazz Club in Durham.
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