Touring Europe with Mike Figgis’ Collective Theatre Company fed the need for more improvisation experience.  The long collaboration with Mike Mower from the Royal Academy days drew Howard to becoming a founding member of the ground-breaking Loose Tubes big band and the unforgettable Itchy Fingers saxophone quartet.

 

Winning the UK’s Schlitz National Jazz Competition with ‘The Fingers’ secured a contract with Virgin Records and a chance to play in New York’s Avery Fischer Hall.  Critical acclaim for the albums Quark and Teranga meant the next few years were suitcased and global, under the auspices of Yamaha, National Panasonic, British Airways and the British Council.

 

After a hiatus of eight years, Howard Turner returned to music, forming the quintet Ba-ba-da with his long time friend Clark Tracey.  Alongside the drum maestro, Alec Dankworth on bass and Geoff Castle on keys added the core of the group.  Ric Morcombe completed the «holy quinnity» and together they wrote and performed original work to much critical acclaim.

 

When bassist Dankworth pulled out of the band owing to commitments with the Dave Brubeck group, bassist Rob Statham helped shift Ba-ba-da to a more electric sound.

 

Looking for a return to his big band roots, Howard took the main tenor chair in the South London Jazz Orchestra.  He says: “Joining the SLJO threw me back to my teenage years, playing alto in the big band The Real Thing, and re-kindled my earliest memories of hearing Stan Kenton live.

 

“The Incredible Sax Band is a natural spin-off from the larger SLJO, allowing players to explore their own compositions and arrangements and work on extended soloing.

“It’s a buzz to see and hear saxophonists having such fun exploring the edges of their technique.  You could say that «jazz jamming with joy» should be the motto of the ISB”.