that's all for today. thanks for being with us. for our entire team, i'm charles davis and we'll see you next time on "sports stars of tomorrow." (exciting music) (exciting music continues)

good morning, and welcome to mosaic. on behalf of our producer and cohost, today we have a legend in music in the bay area. if you go to glide at 9:00 and 11:00 and if you go to scott that monday, tuesday and wednesday at 9:00. that is where you will find him all the time for almost over 30 years. i'd say he has been in the bay area for over 50 doing what he does. and we are blessed to have john turk. ♪ ♪ ♪

great to have you, john. i saw you probably 40 something years ago. john turk in the third street annex. you'd play at all the different clubs. and then i've seen you at glide. tell us about your background. >> i started playing in the oakland area around 1965/66 with a guy named johnny hart

smith. he was a guitar player, organ player and flute player. and he wanted to expand and he only had a saxophone, drums and him playing the organ and he wanted to add an instrument. i guess he heard about me. one night i came in saying with his band and i guess i did okay because he hired me. we were playing at the showcase many moons ago. and he decided he did not want to be a bandleader so the three of us that were left, we got together and had an organ trio. i went and bought an organ and we got busy. >> when did the trump come in?

>> actually, he saw me do it. and he was known for being a little late. so he would start being late at this particular gig, because he actually hired me as a trumpet player. but then he started taking advantage of the fact that i could play and so he would come in late. we would play the first 10 or 15 minutes and i got pretty good. i kept listening to my jamie smith records. >> when you call your answering service i think it's jimmy smith. >> no, it's me. but when he decided to go solo, that is when the three of us that were left formed a band. and that

was it. >> i know you perform was a lot of great artists. we have just a minute left. send us out with something. >> ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

i hope you've been with us. we have been listening to john turk. john is a legend here in the bay area. grew up in vallejo and has been playing for all the greats from etta james 2/tone, to bb king. and you can see him at a regular basis at glide at 9:00 and 11:00. tell us, how did that begin? how did you connect all this great music with the spirituality of glide?

>> it was fate and a flute. i was supposed to be there for two weeks. because the choir director was playing with an r&b group. over in south africa for a couple of weeks. and while he was gone they needed somebody to play keyboard and so a buddy of mine who played drums at glide called me up and asked me if i wanted to do the gig for a couple of weeks. i said, sure. so i played. normally i didn't play the trumpet. but i played the trumpet and he liked that. i guess he liked it. so, when the director came back, they did not fire me. so i stayed, i

stayed and i stayed. >> people come from all over the world to celebrate the liberating programs. and all the work that they do, but a lot of people also come for the glide ensemble. how did that managed to develop? >> they always had a choir but as time went on we expanded the band. we started with the saxophone. one of the best saxophone players anywhere. charles mcneil. i had him to come in, we were getting ready to make a record. and cecil like that saxophone and that trumpet. and we were getting ready to do another cd and i

said, why don't we add a trombone? that's when joe berman came in. so we ended up with three horns. and we've had them ever since. it's been 15-20 years. >> when it comes to the choir, i had the privilege of being there and coming to choir rehearsals. it seems like you rehearsed throughout the night, 16 songs. how do you come on sunday, i know cecil has a lot to do with it, but you also select the songs. >> first i've got to see what soloists are there. and i try to set the mood. so the preacher can preach. i think that is my primary job. you

know, first you want to wake the people up. you don't want to start with nothing slow. then the next song, you can't keep hitting them like that. you've got to wake them up and then calm them down. and then fire them back up. i mean, that is my way of doing it. and so far it has worked. and something before the preacher preaches. something that will really touch you. really something. >> so you always have to be in tune with that spirit as you go along. to discern what that song is going to be. >> yeah. because you are trying

to bring the people in. they are already in the building but you want to bring them into the spirit of what is going on at glide. and music is the way. >> it touches the soul and the spirit. i've read a lot about you in the world, where they say the secular music and spiritual music and some people like to keep that divorce but you have learned to combine the two. anyway you've done that and done it so successfully, any clues to how you do that? people have such a difficult time sometimes seeing the two together. >> i never think about it. to me, i'm doing what i'm supposed to do. which is play music. and i feel just like a plumber would if he was going to fix your plumbing. >> you are doing what you have been called to do.

>> yeah. you go to ask -- ? someone's plumbing, you don't ask them what religion they are. that's how i feel about what i do. i'm a musician. i'm doing what we're supposed to do. >> we are blessed, because carla put this up because we would not be able to hear these great sounds. this is the first time in 13 years that a musician has been able to do this. let's close out the segment with another number. >> ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

welcome back to mosaic. you've probably heard some great sounds if you've been with us. john turk, his mom and dad were great in music and they've introduced him at the age of five. so he has been playing since he is five and mastering instruments. and he even has his young son playing, and he is quite good. tell us a little more about your family's influence. >> i first started with my mom. she played in a church. she didn't play by ear. she played by reading music. she showed me a few things, skills and stuff and how to read music. and then i had a crazy cousin, cousin

leroy. leroy played the piano, but he played boogie-woogie. and he showed me how to -- ♪ ♪ -- anyway, i got into it once i heard that boogie-woogie. and i was gone. that was it. it was all over. >> what was your dad's influence? >> my dad is the one that loved the music so much that he would go to buy the records. my mama didn't buy the records. he would get the records by nat king cole, and i would just sit there and listen for hours. >> how did you manage to get with people like lou rawls and bb king and go around the world

with these people? >> at the time there was a club owned by don barksdale. it was two clubs, the showcase and the sportsman. he would have lou rawls at one club and bobby at the other. and by us playing at that showcase at the time, i got to play with everybody that was big. coming from vallejo, i thought i was in heaven. i got to play with and talk with the greatest r&b entertainers in the world. it does not get much better than etta james, ernie andrews, charles musselwhite. i

played on a record with him years ago. it was great for me. >> in the travels, i think i've heard you say one of the most difficult things about being a musician is the travels. >> i like to go to bed in my own bed. and at the time i had two kids. and i'll never forget, i played at a theater in chicago and i got to meet some of the members of the band with lloyd price. >> another legend. >> yeah. so some of those musicians had been on the road with lloyd price for years. >> i think he is still living, isn't he? >> i'm not sure. but they've

only seen their kids like once or twice a year or if they were coming through that town. i did not want to do that. and ride on a bus. >> you mentioned earlier that you first have to check out the solos before you select certain songs. one of the soloists is your wife. cheryl, right? you been married for how long, 20 years? >> should have been. but, 10. i'm not saying it because she is my wife, but she can really sing. >> she is great. we heard you at the annual conference of the united methodist church last month. we heard her as well is the choir and of course your band and all that you bring.

when i go to see you at scott's, which i did not long ago, i always ask for certain songs and my funny valentine, do you still have that on your repertoire? >> yeah, i can play a little bit. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪

you might be wondering who is the young man sitting here. this is miles, the son of john and cheryl. he plays the drums and has played at glide. i told him to join us for the last

segment. john, can you play one of the standards there at glide? >> ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

>> we are blessed this morning. >> ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> if you come to glide on sundays, you will hear this kind of great music, great soloists and great ministry there. and next time you are in

town we will have young miles bring his drums, and somehow get him up here. but i want you to close out with one of my favorites, a song for you. donny hathaway and leon russell wrote it and donny hathaway is the one who really kind of owns that song. i want to thank you, john, for being here, bringing your gifts. >> ♪. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

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