Label: ECM Records, 2026
Personnel - Mark Turner: tenor saxophone; Jason Palmer: trumpet; Joe Martin: acoustic bass; Jonathan Pinson: drums.
Long recognized as a brilliant saxophonist, Mark Turner continues to push artistic boundaries while remaining faithful to jazz fundamentals. His post-bop mastery is firmly displayed on Patternmaster, a sci-fi-inspired release featuring a quartet with trumpeter Jason Palmer, bassist Joe Martin, and drummer Jonathan Pinson. This is the same ensemble that recorded Return from the Stars in 2022.
Comprising six Turner originals, the album opens with the title track, a dexterous contrafact on Wayne Shorter’s “Pinocchio”. Martin and Pinson establish an infectious groove that both propels and anchors the music, supporting a creative theme delivered in unison by the frontline horns. Turner takes the first solo with a resolute attack and narrative clarity, riding a subtle bossa-inflected current shaped by the rhythm section, while Palmer matches the energy with assured phrasing. “Trece Ocho”, introduced by an entrancing bass figure, contains passages that recall the ingenuity of late pianist Andrew Hill, framed within a chamber-like brightness before culminating in a brisk, playful fanfare.
The band maintains its spark on “It Very Well May Be”, launched by Palmer’s commanding statement before Turner joins for the theme exposition. The rhythm section swings with purpose, and Turner delivers a solo blending hard-bop drive with post-bop sophistication, followed by Martin’s triplet-rich bass exploration. “Lehman’s Lair”, inspired by a complex composition by saxophonist Steve Lehman, thrives on a determined 4/4 pulse marked by groove and persistence, with the horns engaging in a virtuosic exchange rich in melodic treats.
“The Happiest Man on Earth” unfolds as a slow waltz shaped by sumptuous harmonies, while “Suspersister”, first recorded in 2009, adopts a structurally bold framework with subtle pop-rock inflections. Pinson’s agile, jittery drumming stands out throughout, reinforcing intricate meters, vamp-based passages, and engrossing saxophone–trumpet conversation.
This quartet injects the music with engaging rhythmic impulses and a palpable sense of unpredictability, executed with consummate skill. Turner, having cultivated a distinctive tone and language, affirms his compositional strengths through empathetic interplay and unmistakable individuality.
Favorite Tracks:
01 - Patternmaster ► 02 - Trece Ocho ► 04 - Lehman’s Lair