Alto, tenor saxophone.
Floyd Turnham came from Spokane with his mother’s band, Edythe Turnham and Her Knights of Syncopation, perhaps as early as 1922, where he played with her at the Copper Kettle, the Alhambra and at Bon Marche fashion shows. After the Turnhams moved to Los Angeles, c. 1928-29, Floyd became a prominent figure on the R&B and jazz scenes, playing with Les Hite, Gerald Wilson, Bardu Ali, Ceele Burke and Joe Liggins. At one point he played briefly with Duke Ellington, but turned down an offer to join the group because he did not want to travel.
Jackson Street After Hours (print); Swingin’ on Central Avenue (Peter Vacher), (print) https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/imlsblackhs/id/150/; https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/edythe-turnham-orchestra/; https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-2000712000;