Mark Turner’s Reflections on: The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man Is a Landmark Jazz Statement

Tenor saxophonist Mark Turner delivers one of the most profound works of his career with Reflections on: The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, a bold, literary-inspired album arriving October 10, 2025, via Giant Step Arts. Known as a “musician’s musician” and revered for his postmodern yet historically rooted approach to jazz, Turner has crafted an emotionally resonant and intellectually rich musical suite that bridges art, identity, and social commentary.

This is not just another jazz album—it’s a statement. Drawing deep inspiration from James Weldon Johnson’s seminal 1912 novel The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, Turner uses the book as both a creative anchor and a mirror for his own lived experience. The novel’s themes of race, identity, and belonging—told through the story of a biracial man able to pass as white—hit especially close to home for Turner, who recalls his mother and great-aunts navigating similar realities. “I hadn’t read a book that talked about passing that was written that early on,” he says. “In my family, we talked about that all the time.”

Rather than composing a programmatic or overly literal interpretation of the book, Turner channels the novel’s psychological and cultural textures into music that stands on its own while remaining thematically connected. The album weaves together composed and improvised material, and features spoken word passages lifted directly from the text—quotes Turner selected for their ability to make listeners pause and reflect. “I wanted to have music that was enhanced with words,” he explains, “not words that were enhanced by music.”

The band—assembled for a residency at the Village Vanguard in 2018—includes long-time collaborators Jason Palmer (trumpet), David Virelles (piano/synths), Matt Brewer (bass), and Nasheet Waits (drums). Virelles’s quote of “Lift Every Voice and Sing”—penned by Johnson and his brother—brings the literary inspiration full circle in a particularly moving moment. In two standout tracks, “New York” and “Europe,” Virelles also turns to synthesizers, an homage to Sun Ra and a way of exploring Afro-diasporic sonic landscapes across continents and eras.

The album doesn’t simply evoke emotion—it provokes thought. Whether through the dense harmonic interconnectivity across the suite or through starkly recited lines like “Sometimes it seems to me that I have never really been a Negro...”, the work invites deep introspection about race, identity, and the internal conflicts so many navigate silently.

This is a landmark addition to the Modern Masters and New Horizons series from Giant Step Arts, curated by Jason Palmer and Nasheet Waits. The series is dedicated to presenting artists who have defined or are redefining the sound of modern jazz. Turner’s contribution is not just a musical triumph—it’s a model for how jazz can intersect with literature, history, and lived experience to speak to the present moment.

Founded in 2018 by Jimmy and Dena Katz, Giant Step Arts remains one of the few platforms offering artists complete creative control and ownership of their work. With deep respect for musicianship and an eye toward legacy, the organization continues to support bold, uncompromising projects like this one—works that challenge listeners not just to hear differently, but to think differently.

Mark Turner’s Reflections on: The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man is available October 10, 2025, on CD and digital platforms. Vinyl to follow via Giant Step Arts.