Matt Turk

"...an artist to be reckoned with." 
All Music Guide------------------------------------------------------- ----------------Matt Turk is a veteran performer who has engaged audiences around the world, both as hard-rocking bandleader and acoustic folk troubadour. ------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------Matt first began working informally with Fred Gillen Jr., having enjoyed each other's music at various events in the Hudson Valley.  After some inspiring shows together they decided to team up as Gillen & Turk. Soon after they received world-wide notice in an Associated Press article that featured the duo auditioning for the Metropolitan Transit Authority's Music Under New York in Manhattan. In May 2008 Gillen & Turk released their first duo CD Backs to the Wall and spent part of the year touring nationally, with the recording supporting the tour.  The CD was well-received by critics and fans. The song "Fall Down" from the disc appeared on CMJ's 10,000 copy 2008 Player Compilation CD.  In the summer of 2008, Gillen & Turk were featured on the television show NYC Soundtracks, on the MSG network.---------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------------------------------In February of 2008, Turk and director-cameraman W. L. Jackson released the music video "The Fog of War." Filmed in various locations around the Hudson Valley and New York City, it was edited by E. James Smith. "The Fog of War" features Turk and special guest Pete Seeger. Acoustic Live's Richard Cuccaro calls "The Fog of War" "remarkable video." It appears on YouTube, Neil Young's website Living with War and the Hudson Valley Music Channel. The song "The Fog of War" was originally released as a free download in the fall of 2006 and was produced by Rob Morsberger.------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------During Christmas 2007, Matt Turk's seasonal cheer "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" appears on the CD soundtrack to the film "Fred Claus," released by Warner Bros. Records, and produced by David Dobkin. For the recording of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," Turk settled into a Los Angeles recording studio with Matter, the producer-performer ensemble (comprised of Ric Markmann, Dan Pinnella, Dean Butterworth and Chris "Wag" Wagner) known for its wide range of work, including the music for Dobkin's prior film, "Wedding Crashers," and the singer Gaby Moreno. Turk provides lead vocals, mandolin, lap steel and acoustic guitar.----------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------------------------As a solo artist Matt has released three albums, including 2002's highly-acclaimed What Gives, and 2006's, Washington Arms. On Washington Arms, produced by Kevin Hupp, Turk updates Ten Years After's anthemic "I'd Love to Change the World," which appears on the Sony Music compilation "Play Back 111" found in Greece and Cyprus, released in May 2009. "Bette Says" from What Gives, Turk's 2002 debut album was featured on an episode of CBS-TV's "Love Monkey" in early 2006.------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------------------------As a member of The Hour he learned his craft in the fertile NYC jam-rock scene of the early nineties. Formed in 1987 while some of the band members were students (such as Turk, a history major) at New York University, The Hour peaked as an eclectic acoustic trio before disbanding in 1993 with Matt, Marshall Madow on guitar and vocals, and drummer, Carey Harmon, now of Railroad Earth.. The Hour released three albums--Hold Back the Reins, Fricker-Nicker Sessions and Songs of Sweden. They were the house band for three summers at Ken and Michele Hoff's Arrowhead Ranch, a music hideaway in the Catskill Mountains that regularly attracted the likes of Lenny Kravitz, Phish, Blues Traveler, Spin Doctors, Levon Helm, Little Feat, Hot Tuna, Max Creek and the Dave Matthews Band. The Hoff's teamed up with Bill Graham Presents for their third season.----------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------Around this time Turk became acquainted with producer Phil Ramone, during studio work as a sideman, initially singing on Russ Irwin's debut with Phoebe Snow. "Thanks to Russ' introduction, Phil took an interest in my music and gave me a great tutoring on the craft of songwriting," remembers Turk, "I still reflect on Phil's lessons."--------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------------------------In June 1992 Turk teamed up with Pete Seeger as part of The Street Singers, a group that taught folk songs to schoolchildren in and around New York City. Turk was greatly inspired to write songs of social justice by Seeger and by his three-year stint working for God's Love-We Deliver. ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------In 1996, Turk formed The Dolphin & Shark Ensemble, a sprawling group of pickers and players dedicated to mixing Americana and world beat musical styles. He'd also branched off into researching Jewish folk music. In partnership with Kevin Hupp, he formed Mandolin Caravan, their first album, Desert Soul, was released in 2003.------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ ------For several years (2000-2004) Turk coordinated and hosted the Circle of Song tent at Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival, an event inaugurated by Pete Seeger in the 1960s that's held each June on the banks of the Hudson River. Matt Turk serves as resident musician at Congregation B'nai Jeshrun in New York City, and runs the folk singing element of Story Arts, an arts project for Westchester County homeless children through a grant from the Westchester Council for the Arts, the Frog Rock Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.I edited my profile with Thomas' Myspace Editor V4.4