Charles Turner Quartet to Play Nancy Jazz Festival, October 11–15

Berklee College of Music alumnus and vocalist Charles Turner will perform at the Nancy Jazz Festival in France's Lorraine region from October 11–15, 2010. Turner, who graduated from Berklee in May 2010, will perform with his Berklee quartet: drummer Jonathan Pinson, pianist Takeshi Ohbayashi, and bassist Joshua Brozosky. The quartet was chosen to make the trip through a stringent selection process by Berklee's Office of International Programs.

The group will conduct clinics and workshops at Berklee's International Network partner in Nancy, the Music Academy International, which emphasizes experiential learning. Because the festival is sponsored in part by the City of Nancy, festival performers participate in various forms of community outreach. As part of their involvement with the festival, the quartet will perform for inmates at a local prison on October 13.

Born in Los Angeles, California, 22-year-old Charles Turner began singing at the age of 2, taking after his parents, who also sing. At 14, Turner began studying jazz music. Turner graduated from the Hamilton High School Academy of Music in Culver City, California, with fellow quartet member Jonathan Pinson. He recently received his bachelor of music degree from Berklee, where he studied professional music on a full scholarship. Despite his young age, Turner's curriculum vitae is full of prestigious accolades, including earning a finalist title at the Montreux Jazz Festival Shure Voice Competition 2009, performing at Carnegie Hall with Bobby McFerrin, and winning the Public Prize in the Brussels International Jazz Singers competition. Charles has shared the stage with Marcus Miller, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Patrice Rushen. He hopes to continue to share his love for music for the generations of today and tomorrow.

Drummer Jonathan Pinson is currently in his seventh semester studying professional music at Berklee. He began playing the drums at 2, inspired by the music of his mother's choir. As a toddler, Pinson earned the nickname "Spoons" because he would carry spoons around with him to create rhythm wherever he went. Pinson has performed at popular venues around the country, including the Ford Amphitheatre and the 50th annual Monterey Jazz Festival.

A native of Hiroshima, Japan, 23-year-old Takeshi Ohbayashi is currently in his ninth semester studying professional music at Berklee. His principal instrument is piano, but Ohbayashi is a multi-instrumentalist: He also plays bass, drums, and trumpet. Ohbayashi began his music education at the Tokyo College of Music, where he studied film scoring and composition. In his first year there, Ohbayashi attended a jazz piano clinic, which inspired him to study jazz piano. Since he refocused his studies on jazz, Ohbayashi has performed at a variety of prominent venues, including the Montreux Jazz Festival, where he was named a semifinalist in the festival's 2007 piano competition; the Yokohama Jazz Festival, where he was awarded the outstanding soloist award; and the Montreal Jazz Festival. Ohbayashi is also a member of the Berklee Global Jazz Institute, directed by Danilo Perez.

Bassist and Berklee professional music graduate Joshua Brozosky was born in Guadalajara, Mexico and grew up in Oakland, California. The 24-year old graduate of Berkeley High School started playing the cello at age 8, soon after moving to the United States, and transitioned to the upright bass at 11. Also a multi-instrumentalist, Brozosky plays the electric bass, guitar, and sings. Oakland's rich tradition in r&b greatly influenced Brozosky, who honed his skills at local gospel churches and jam sessions. He has performed with musical heavyweights like Terri Lyne Carrington, Richie Rich, Nona Hendryx, and Lalah Hathaway, and he's performed at a number of esteemed venues, including the White House and Carnegie Hall, and at the Bonnaroo festival. Brozosky is also interested in music education due to his involvement with the Young Musicians Program at UC Berkeley and, since then, has taught and coached music at the middle and high school levels around the Bay Area and Boston.