Friendly Fires

Richard Turner, the talented young jazz trumpeter, composer, arranger, bandleader, teacher, and alumnus of the prestigious Royal Academy of Music Jazz course, passed away on 11th August 2011.

A concert will be held to celebrate his life at 7:30pm on July 10th 2012, in the Duke’s Hall, at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

The concert will feature many of the musicians and friends Richard was particularly close to. Performers will include:

Round Trip (Richard’s own band, whom he fronted and composed for); Julian Siegel;
Barak Schmool and members of the F-ire Collective; a ‘RAM Class of ‘06’ band featuring musicians in Richard’s year group, including NY based pianist John Escreet; a Leeds collective group, which will feature some of the musicians that Richard collaborated with during his childhood in Leeds; an all-star big band comprised of friends, colleagues and teachers connected with Richard, that will perform pieces from the Gil Evans ‘Porgy and Bess’ suite.

Tickets will be £25 and £20 (for concessions), and all proceeds will go towards a special scholarship in his name, which aims to support young musicians wishing to pursue their jazz studies at the Royal Academy of Music.

Richard was a very talented jazz trumpet player, and after graduating from the Royal Academy of Music in 2006, went on to play with musicians such as Gary Husband, Julian Siegel, Friendly Fires, and was a member of the F-ire Collective, on who’s record label his band ‘Round Trip’ released their acclaimed debut album. He also was the founder of the ‘Con Cellar Bar’, an extremely popular and important jazz night that runs in Camden, which as well as hosting famous names such as Mark Turner’s ‘Fly’ and Paul Clarvis, gave a vital platform to the London jazz scene, and allowed many emerging artists to perform. At the age of 27, he died suddenly of a ruptured aneurysm in his aortic artery whilst swimming in Brockwell Lido. Richard loved his swimming sessions, and competed in the Great North Swim in 2011.

Taking place at the Royal Academy of Music on July 10th 2012, 7.30pm, Dukes Hall

For more information and to purchase tickets, please contact the Royal Academy of Music Box Office on: 020 7873 7300, or via their website: www.ram.ac.uk