Thomas Eugene Turk (1927 – August 4, 1981) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

trombonist.

Early life

Tommy Turk was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania in 1927. His father, Joseph, was a coal miner and self-taught trumpeter.Leonard, Vince, "Trombonist Turk Slain in Las Vegas
''Pittsburgh-Post Gazette''
August 6, 1981, p. 6. Tommy got his first trombone when he was in fourth grade of school. His elder brother, Rob, was also a trumpeter. The three of them played in a band with two neighbors, and Tommy developed some fast-playing technique when playing polkas in the band. He had further musical experience in the Conemaugh High School band, and graduated from the same school in 1944. The brothers then continued playing together in a University of Michigan campus band, but Tommy soon joined the army, where he also led bands.

Later life and career

Turk left the army and then moved to

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, in 1947. He became established there as part of the Deuces Wild quintet. Their playing helped Turk develop a reputation, and when promoter

Norman Granz Norman Granz (August 6, 1918 – November 22, 2001) was an American jazz record producer and concert promoter. He founded the record labels Clef, Norgran, Down Home, Verve, and Pablo. Granz was acknowledged as "the most successful impres ...

heard him play, he invited Turk to appear with his touring group of major jazz figures when they performed at the

Syria Mosque Syria Mosque was a 3,700-seat performance venue located in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Constructed in 1911 and dedicated on October 26, 1916, the building was originally built as a "mystical" shrine for the Ancient A ...

in Pittsburgh. His appearance was a success, and Granz recruited Turk to play in Chicago, and for several months in 1948 as part of

Jazz at the Philharmonic Jazz at the Philharmonic, or JATP (1944–1983), was the title of a series of jazz concerts, tours and recordings produced by Norman Granz. Over the years, "Jazz at the Philharmonic" featured many of the era's preeminent musicians, including Lou ...

. Turk can be heard on several CDs with

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...

. In 1949 he was a member of

Flip Phillips Joseph Edward Filippelli (March 26, 1915 – August 17, 2001), known professionally as Flip Phillips, was an American jazz tenor saxophone and clarinet player. He is best remembered for his work with Norman Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic conce ...

and His Orchestra, together with John D'Agostino,

Buddy Morrow Buddy Morrow (born Muni Zudekoff, aka Moe Zudekoff; February 8, 1919 – September 27, 2010) was an American trombonist and bandleader. Career On a scholarship at age 16, Morrow studied trombone with Ernest Horatio Clarke (1865–1947) at Juill ...

, Kai Winding,

Sonny Criss William "Sonny" Criss (23 October 1927 – 19 November 1977) was an American jazz musician. An alto saxophonist of prominence during the bebop era of jazz, he was one of many players influenced by Charlie Parker. Biography William Criss wa ...

, Mickey Crane, Ray Brown and

Shelly Manne Sheldon "Shelly" Manne (June 11, 1920 – September 26, 1984) was an American jazz drummer. Most frequently associated with West Coast jazz, he was known for his versatility and also played in a number of other styles, including Dixieland, sw ...

, and on December 1, 1949, he led a group including Ray Brown and

Buddy Rich Bernard "Buddy" Rich (September 30, 1917 – April 2, 1987) was an American jazz drummer, songwriter, conductor, and bandleader. He is considered one of the most influential drummers of all time. Rich was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, ...

that recorded four tunes under the name "Tommy Turk and His Orchestra". Nevertheless, he decided to stay in Pittsburgh, where he could control what he played and enjoyed life – in the 1950s he continued playing with Deuces Wild.Peña, Carlos E., ''Pittsburgh Jazz Records and Beyond, 1950–1985'', In 1954, ''

The Pittsburgh Press ''The Pittsburgh Press'' (formerly ''The Pittsburg Press'' and originally ''The Evening Penny Press'') was a major afternoon daily newspaper published in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1884 to 1992. At one time, the ''Press'' was the second larg ...

'' reported that Turk was considering leaving the area because his annual earnings of less than $5,500 from leading Deuces Wild were inadequate. At the time, he had a wife, Mary, and two sons – Tommy Turk Jr, aged three, and Charles, aged two. Turk also recorded with

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop s ...

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

and

around the same time.Verve Records Discography 1949
/ref> In 1972, he performed at the Pittsburgh Jazz Festival with a band led by

Roy Eldridge David Roy Eldridge (January 30, 1911 – February 26, 1989), nicknamed "Little Jazz", was an American jazz trumpeter. His sophisticated use of harmony, including the use of tritone substitutions, his virtuosic solos exhibiting a departure from ...

. For many years Turk led a quartet that played at the Point View Hotel in

Brentwood, Pennsylvania Brentwood is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The population was 10,082 at the 2020 census. Geography and climate Brentwood is located at (40.374469, -79.976179). According to ...

. He later moved to

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, to play in house bands. The Brentwood band reformed in 1976, and later recorded the album ''The-Truth!!!'' as a quintet.

Death

Years later, Turk was living and performing in Las Vegas. On August 4, 1981, he was fatally shot by robbers at a tavern in that city."Tommy Turk Killer Gets Life" (May 14, 1982
''The Pittsburgh Press'', p. A-7.
/ref> ''

'' reported that Turk was "shot in the head for no apparent reason as he and other patrons lay on the floor of a tavern liquor store during a holdup." One eyewitness reported that Turk had difficulty lying flat and did not take out his wallet quickly enough for the killer."After 24 years, Las Vegas murderer has chance for parole" (December 15, 2005
''Las Vegas Sun''.
/ref> Four gang members were charged in relation to the killing. The 15-year-old who shot Turk was made eligible for parole in 2005. Turk, who was 53, was survived by his wife and two sons.

Discography

As leader

Album

*'' The-Truth!!!'' Asterik. Recorded in concert, June 23, 1977

Singles

*"Two By Four" / "Encore" Mercury. Recorded December 1, 1949"Tommy Turk Discography"
jazzdisco.org Retrieved August 16, 2014. *"Bye Bye Blues" / "The Beat" Mercury. Recorded December 1, 1949

As sideman

With

*''1949 Jazz at the Philharmonic'' (Verve, 1949) *''Carnegie Hall 1949'' (Pablo, 1949)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Turk, Tommy 1927 births 1981 deaths 1981 murders in the United States 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century American musicians 20th-century trombonists American jazz trombonists American male jazz musicians American murder victims Deaths by firearm in Nevada Jazz musicians from Pennsylvania Male trombonists People from Johnstown, Pennsylvania People murdered in Nevada