The Turtle Island String Quartet was born in 1985 and derived its name from creation mythology found in Native American Folklore. The quartet fuses the classical quartet aesthetic with contemporary American musical styles, which include folk, bluegrass, swing, be-bop, funk, R&B, rock, hip-hop, as well as music of Latin America and India. They have appeared on a dozen recordings on labels such as Windham Hill, Chandos, Koch and Telarc, soundtracks for major motion pictures, TV and radio credits, and collaborations with famed artists such as clarinetist Paquito D'Rivera, Manhattan Transfer, pianists Billy Taylor and Kenny Barron, the Ying Quartet and the Parsons Dance Company. After numerous recording under their original band name, they shortened it to Turtle Island Quartet.