Dave Stryker Trio with Charles Owens

Dave Stryker grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and moved to New York City in 1980, where he was a member of organist Jack McDuff’s group for two years before joining saxophonist Stanley Turrentine’s quintet. From 1986 to 1995, Stryker played with Turrentine at all the major festivals, concert halls, and clubs throughout the world, and with such jazz greats as Dizzy Gillespie and Freddie Hubbard. He is featured on two Turrentine recordings (which include Stryker’s own tune “Sidesteppin”). Stryker continued to work with Turrentine and was with him during his final week at the Blue Note in NYC.

Playing alongside the tenor legend helped Stryker realize the importance of having his own sound. He has recorded and published over 150 of his own compositions and has released The Dave Stryker Songbook with most of his original music. Eighteen of the compositions (from the first five SteepleChase CDs) are also compiled in the book The Music of Dave Stryker (SteepleChase Music).