Biography
Controversial saxophonist Turk Mauro entered the world in New York City on June 11, 1944, into a household of first-generation Italian-Americans. His father, Dominick Turso, performed regularly with neighborhood swing ensembles, and young Mauro—whose given name was Mauro Turso—shadowed him at performances while developing an early reverence for Louis Armstrong and the jazz figures then in circulation. At age fourteen he took up the alto saxophone and secured membership in the musicians’ union the following year. Frequenting restaurants frequented by his idols, he eventually encountered trumpet player Henry Allen, who became his mentor and began securing local engagements for him that continued until Mauro’s high-school graduation in 1962.
Afterward he took employment in a bank mailroom yet soon resumed performing with jazz groups. A 1965 marriage produced two daughters, but constant touring created irreconcilable tension, and the union dissolved in the mid-seventies; afterward he lost contact with his children while persisting on the road. One evening in a club he met Billy Mitchell, then a member of Dizzy Gillespie’s band, an encounter that yielded several appearances alongside Gillespie himself and ultimately a steady position in Buddy Rich’s ensemble. Known locally as a perfectionist, Mauro became a sought-after sideman throughout New York and issued his first album, The Underdog, in 1977. The recording earned him a residency at the Blue Note, yet his follow-up, The Heavyweight, failed commercially and ushered in an extended lull throughout the eighties. Forced to accept unrelated work driving taxis and limousines, he withdrew entirely from the jazz community.
In 1987 Sonny Rollins encountered the despondent musician and urged him to test his fortunes in Paris. Mauro departed at once. Regular sideman engagements soon materialized in French clubs and concert halls, restoring his visibility. The Parisian resurgence brought a comfortable apartment, opportunities to host his brother and father for joint performances, a second marriage, and repeated instances of finding cash on the street. That marriage proved short-lived, however, and by 1991 another barren stretch began. When recession curtailed opportunities, he lingered briefly before relocating to Florida in 1994 with yet another wife. There he attended to his ailing father—his mother having passed away in 1990—and performed sporadically at the region’s limited jazz venues while developing a costly gambling habit that eroded his earlier earnings and further estranged his spouse.
Health complications surfaced in 1999 when an inflamed colon required hospitalization and ultimately ruptured. That November he struck vocalist Beverly Barkley after she objected to his smoking; although the pair had previously shared bills and clashed, the assault occurred without immediate provocation, and he attempted to strike her again with a chair once she was down. An off-duty Fort Lauderdale officer stationed at the door effected an arrest, prompting Barkley to file suit and allege, among other things, that he had uttered racial epithets—charges he acknowledged every element of except the slurs. The resulting publicity suspended his performing career, and his wife departed after his release from custody. He moved in with his father, who died early the next year. Convicted of battery and disorderly conduct, Mauro received one year’s probation and fifty hours of community service. As of 2001 the Barkley case had not reached trial, though occasional Florida engagements continued.
Afterward he took employment in a bank mailroom yet soon resumed performing with jazz groups. A 1965 marriage produced two daughters, but constant touring created irreconcilable tension, and the union dissolved in the mid-seventies; afterward he lost contact with his children while persisting on the road. One evening in a club he met Billy Mitchell, then a member of Dizzy Gillespie’s band, an encounter that yielded several appearances alongside Gillespie himself and ultimately a steady position in Buddy Rich’s ensemble. Known locally as a perfectionist, Mauro became a sought-after sideman throughout New York and issued his first album, The Underdog, in 1977. The recording earned him a residency at the Blue Note, yet his follow-up, The Heavyweight, failed commercially and ushered in an extended lull throughout the eighties. Forced to accept unrelated work driving taxis and limousines, he withdrew entirely from the jazz community.
In 1987 Sonny Rollins encountered the despondent musician and urged him to test his fortunes in Paris. Mauro departed at once. Regular sideman engagements soon materialized in French clubs and concert halls, restoring his visibility. The Parisian resurgence brought a comfortable apartment, opportunities to host his brother and father for joint performances, a second marriage, and repeated instances of finding cash on the street. That marriage proved short-lived, however, and by 1991 another barren stretch began. When recession curtailed opportunities, he lingered briefly before relocating to Florida in 1994 with yet another wife. There he attended to his ailing father—his mother having passed away in 1990—and performed sporadically at the region’s limited jazz venues while developing a costly gambling habit that eroded his earlier earnings and further estranged his spouse.
Health complications surfaced in 1999 when an inflamed colon required hospitalization and ultimately ruptured. That November he struck vocalist Beverly Barkley after she objected to his smoking; although the pair had previously shared bills and clashed, the assault occurred without immediate provocation, and he attempted to strike her again with a chair once she was down. An off-duty Fort Lauderdale officer stationed at the door effected an arrest, prompting Barkley to file suit and allege, among other things, that he had uttered racial epithets—charges he acknowledged every element of except the slurs. The resulting publicity suspended his performing career, and his wife departed after his release from custody. He moved in with his father, who died early the next year. Convicted of battery and disorderly conduct, Mauro received one year’s probation and fifty hours of community service. As of 2001 the Barkley case had not reached trial, though occasional Florida engagements continued.
Albums
