Paxton Turner
@turnerman5 · trumpet · Tacoma, WA
Bio
In February of 2015, I, Paxton Turner, wanted to learn how to play trumpet after having been astonished by a stellar Wynton Marsalis performance. Early in March, I began learning from a student at Pacific Lutheran University, the basics of the instrument. In July of 2018, I started being taught by jazz trumpeter Jared Hall, whose been helping me improve my form and achieve greater fluency all around.
My favorite trumpeters of old are Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Clifford Brown, Woody Shaw, Kenny Dorham, Donald Byrd, and Blue Mitchell. My modern favorites are Wynton Marsalis, Marcus Printup, Sean Jones, Jared Hall, Roy Hargrove, and Thomas Marriott.
In February of 2019, I had the privilege on sitting in with my teacher Jared Hall and pianist and former PLU jazz band director David Deacon Joyner for a couple tunes. In February of 2020, I was selected to play with the PLU 2020 High School Honor Jazz Band.
In recent days, I've become part of an emerging band called Bella And The Fellas, which is a band me and my friends created. Check out the Our Band Account link to the right for more information.
In the future, besides the inevitable performing I’d hopefully do as leader and sideman, I would like to make a lot of recordings as a leader, including primarily my compositions, most of which fall under the style of hard bop, with some tunes having an avant-garde twist to it. I’d also include some tunes from my favorite composers (Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Horace Silver to name a few) who primarily included their compositions on their albums. I would like to be a sideman on recordings as well, playing mainly in this style, but not being closed off to other styles.
I like playing music (jazz especially) because I love my instrument, playing with others, and hearing what they have to say. I also have started to play flute, and intend to pick up trombone and french horn as well. Besides music, I enjoy 3d modeling and animation, photography, and programming languages. I intend to use my crafts for the enjoyment and entertainment of myself and others, and most of all, glorifying my creator and savior, Jesus Christ.