This is my third year as a resident artist at the Coachmen Homeless Shelter in White Plains, NY.

The Story Arts Program, which includes dance, video, design and music, is provided for by the Westchester Arts Council, the Department of Social Services and the National Endowment for the Arts. I present and teach folk music to the kids of the Coachmen.

Over 15 sessions we cover the songbook of the best of the best. I have created an exciting set list for these kids, tested and true, gleaned from years of wood shedding, sitting at Pete Seeger's knee and being in the Clearwater community here in the Hudson Valley.

We sing in English, Spanish, French, Zulu, Hebrew, Arabic and more. All the songs have great history and are continually rich in their meaning. We sit in a circle and sing the tunes. We make up our own verses and build off the choruses. I briefly introduce their place in history. The kids guide the discussions. I lead the jams. Some of these kids know a lot while others very little and there are many in between. How little? I've heard, 'where is europe?' There are 7 year olds who don't yet read and yet they learn the songs just by hearing them and through call and response. Some songs are from the civll rights movement like "We Shall Overcome", "Down by the Riverside" and "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody". Others are by Ladysmith Black Mambazo's Josef Shabalala. We sing Woody Guthrie, Jimmy Cliff's "You Can Get It If You Really Want", Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind", John Lennon's "Imagine", "De Colores", "Aiko Aiko" and more. The kids love singing and are very responsive to the concepts. They live in an urban scene dominated with gangs, violence and drugs.

There will be an open performance at the Coachmen on April 3 at 6pm, please check the gigs page.

My first interaction with Mike Bloomberg came a decade ago when a college buddy of mine was working for him.

John is an especially sharp hombre. During our NYU days I had a lot of fun hanging around with him and Rosko, another esteemed pal from yesteryore.

Once, we were all thrown out of an Allman Brothers show at Madison Square Garden for...dancing in the aisle! Of all things that will get you bounced out of a concert! Gotham during the Clampdown: No dancing, no smoking, no no no. Security at the show just wanted to bust some heads and when they threw us out, we were heaved out of the side stage doors and on to the pavement like bowling balls. Just as we hit the cee-ment, the rent-a-roughs yelled, "Get the f#*k out of here!" I'll never forgot this rude mix-up and the memory of being laid out flat on the sidewalk outside the garden with John and Rosko.

While working for Bloomberg News a few years later, John was hit by a cab in New York City and suffered significant head injuries that put him in a coma. Amazingly, he made a full recovery, and when I called upon him to say hello, he told me Mike Bloomberg had called him personally. From that day on I always liked Mike Bloomberg, and my feelings haven't changed much about him.

This summer Mayor Mike Bloomberg called Basya Schechter from the renowned group Pharoah's Daughter to sing at Gracie Mansion to celebrate Jerusalem's 40th birthday, New York's Jewish community and the city's vibrant and diverse multitudes. Basya and I have been making music together for 10 years, mostly through Congregation B'nai Jeshurun on Manhattan's Upper West Side, and so when she discovered that the Mayor wanted her to sing Naomi Shemer's classic "Yerushalayim Shel Zahav" (which has been covered by many acts and artists, including Phish!), Basya told the Mayor that she would need to be accompanied by the phenomenal violinist Meg Okura and none other than myself! This invitation from Basya was indeed an honor, and I'm grateful for her generosity and friendship. Best of all, Basya asked me to sing the song. In case you don't know, Basya and I have a fantastic musical relationship showcasing many things including mandolin, l'oud and wonderful harmonies. Of course, I agreed to the gig, and on a warm July afternoon, Jumbo picked me up in one of the Mayor's limousine's and delivered me to Gracie Mansion.

Awaiting in the tent were all kinds of folks. This was not the Clearwater "down to earth crowd," nor the progressives I find at The Freedom Fair and Political Rally, nor the Contra Dancing purists of Falcon Ridge. I was now stepping into "The Court," and the scene was pretty serious. Thankfully, Brooklyn Lager was there, too, to take a little of the 90 degree edge off.

Enter the Mayor and everyone was at attention. Dr. Ruth stood and waved like Queen Elizabeth. The Ambassador from Israel spoke eloquently, and other dignitaries were acknowledged as well. Suddenly, the Mayor walked up to me and asked, "Who's singing?" I said, "We are." He replied, "Well, congratulations, good for you, I am Mike Bloomberg." I introduced myself, and we shook hands. Meg, Basya, the Mayor and I had a minute together. It was very special. Then he introduced Basya as she is: "a significant artist, relevant, unique and inspiring and would she sing 'her' song 'Yerushalayim Shel Zahav?'

Like I said, I've known Basya a long time, and the one thing she would not do is take credit for Naomi Shemer's song nor disrespect Meg and me. So, she casually and gently interrupted the Mayor, saying, "With Meg Okura and Matt Turk, and Matt Turk will sing it." The Mayor, who leaned on the outside of his feet when he was speaking from prepared cards highlighted in yellow and orange stopped and turned. He looked at us and inquired "Matt Turk?" Basya looked at me, we both looked at the Mayor, and she said, "Matt Turk." He said, looking down again at the card in his hand, "I only have what they gave me..ok....Matt Turk will sing now with Basya Schechter and Meg Okura." I stood right up, in front of a crowd that seemed more excited to eat the free food and hob-nob with the Mayor, and said, "Thank you, Mr. Mayor, thank you Basya. We will now sing Naomi Shemer's 'Yerushalayim Shel Zahav.' Please join us." And they did.

After the song was finished, the Mayor stepped off stage to a swarm of attendees and folks looking to touch him. I jumped off the stage and walked right into Henry Kissinger! My adrenalin kicked in big time. Why couldn't it have been Edward Shevardnadze or Phil Rizzuto? This was Nixon's Secretary of State, a man responsible and involved in too much death, destruction and despair, all of it rationalized in self-important intellectualism. Henry looked at me, I extended my hand, and said, "Hello, I am Matt Turk." He replied, "Well done."

And I looked right at Kissinger, thought here is my moment, and asked, "Is it time for peace?" Henry the K's reply: "It is always time for peace."

Actually, it was time for Brooklyn Lager. I thanked Meg, Basya and the Mayor's staff. I congratulated Basya on her fantastic new release, Haran, and made my way to Jumbo, the limo and my exit from the Mayor's court.

The following week Basya and the Mayor ran into each other on the subway. He was going to work, and she was heading home after a long night of recording. He looked at her, and said, "Don't I know you?" She replied, "I sang for you last week at Gracie Mansion with....", and the Mayor interrupted with a smile, and said, "With Matt Turk."

The following week I bumped into the Master, Richie Havens, at Rudy's in NY. After catching up on Clearwater, he responded to my news of Gracie Mansion with these words of wisdom: "Never give up on anyone. There is always hope, and there is always time for change and reconciliation." Richie is right, you know.

For information about Basya, please visit her website, http://www.pharaohsdaughter.com

Since the release of my Washington Arms CD and subsequent collaboration last fall with Pete Seeger on "The Fog of War" (which was released as a free downloadable single), I have reshaped my live performance and begun working with new musicians. Teaming up with the fabulous Fred Gillen Jr. has been the most notable development as such, and we have been performing as Gillen & Turk at numerous venues here in the Northeast. Within the past six months a rather informal association that started with a shared gig here and there has turned into a significant partnership We met through the Hudson Valley scene about seven years ago and have worked together in the Tribes Hill folk-centric singer-songwriter collective, connecting in real through the universal grace that music often provides its practitioners...

I liked Fred from the beginning, both musically and personally. His harmonica playing first struck me, reminding me of those fine Woody Guthrie-Sonny Terry recordings I listen to often. I also fell in love with his songs: "Plane Shot Down," "Killing Machine," "Conversations on a Train"—the list goes on and on. Fred has a beautiful voice and we harmonize naturally. Also, a great help to me is his fine sense of humor and the fact that he often carries a good supply of dark chocolate, which he likes to share. Armed with our original songs and lots of great tunes written by others, we are performing with mandolin, guitar, lap steel, washboard, bass and vocals. Some of our performance highlights so far have been at the Morgan Library in Manhattan at the opening of a Bob Dylan exhibition, several Peekskill Coffee House shows and a a concert on New Year's Day at the Lodge in Croton Point Park near a roaring fire. There are live tracks available on the tunes page of this site to download for free. Be sure to check out the many upcoming Gillen & Turk shows on the calendar page too.

And how many of you saw the Associated Press article and accompanying photo of Fred and me that ran after we auditioned for the select underground music sites in New York City supervised by the Metroplitan Transit Authority? Friends reported from Hong Kong (!) and Singapore (!!) that news of our duo act ran in papers there. By the way, we got the gig, and this summer we'll be serenading straphangers around Gotham. More details to follow...

Fred shines on the electric bass (as many Rain Deputies fans from the mid-1990s will recall), so our next mission was to find the right drummer to complement our sound. David Blackshire, a well-known Manhattan drummer, came to us through a mutual friend, and from the start it was obvious that he could drive the band to rhythmic heights. A fantastic drummer and singer with a great sense of musical arranging, David has turned us into a formidable trio, and when we debuted the group in January at a show in upstate New York the feedback was tremendous. We perform in both acoustic and electric settings, nailing the groove every where we have gone so far, whether it be at Nectar's in Burlington, VT, or Southpaw's in Brooklyn. I have greatly enjoyed combing my three solo CDs and even farther back into the Hour's repertoire for the right songs, while adding great covers to the 'live' mix as well. We're adding new songs and writing together: it's everything a "group" effort should be at this point, with excitement and creativity sparkling regularly. Again, check out the 'live' tracks available on the tunes page, and look for where we'll be this summer and fall on the calendar.

Now the phrase "fog of war" is in my head, like a bad dream I can't wake from. Will we ever have the courage to break the cycle of destruction, violence and inhumanity of war, the endless suffering, the annihilation of our future? Where are the passion, commitment and wisdom for peace?

I don't ever want to be dulled into complacency and indifference when it comes to war in this world. Why don't we all work to stop the bombs and bullets? Let's bring our world to a place where we see peace and compassion reign supreme. These intentions are what have inspired me for as long as I can remember, and it's where much of my art arises from.

I reached out to my wise friend Pete Seeger for help with this song. I played it for him, and he said, appropriately, "The good and the bad are so mixed up." We decided to record it with Rob Morsberger, a keyboardist and producer who lives in one of the rivertowns about halfway between my place and Pete's. I felt Pete's country blues banjo would add a lot to the track. Plus, he is the musical conscience of America, the truest of patriotic heroes.

In a break from the recording we were munching some apples and realized that both of our families had survived wars, which is what had made possible our wonderful friendship many years later. The fog somehow lifts, momentarily, but always returns.

On a spectacularly beautiful spring afternoon in late April--it was the type of day that reinforces your optimism in the creative goodness of our world, no matter how worn-out you may be--Mandolin Caravan, my side project, performed for about a hundred people in White Plains, NY. The show was held at the Westchester Arts Council's (relatively new) concert space, the Arts Exchange, which has been fashioned out of an old bank. Inside, the polished granite walls and large, ceiling-to-floor windows give the space a classical look, and with the sunshine pouring through the panes you could feel the renewing power of nature. It marked, for me, at least, final proof that a new season had begun.

Mandolin Caravan was born from my growing interest during the mid-1990s in the Hebrew folk melodies from the Middle East, Africa, Europe and North America. Pete Seeger had suggested that I delve into the music as much as possible, and as my research expanded the natural step was to arrange the music for performance. With Kevin Hupp, my good friend and expert drummer, signed as a musical partner and producer, we recorded the group's first album, Desert Soul, in 2003, and as our popularity has increased so has the impetus to go back into the studio to document our new material. A number of other great musicians have aided and abetted this project over the years, including bassist bassist Barry Hartglass and cellist Noah Hoffield, but the core group these days seems to feature mostly phenomenal reed and woodwind artist Bill Harris (of the famed Harris Brothers), accordion player Gary Schreiner (an award-winner composer for film and Television) and vocalist Basya Schechter, who some folks may know from Pharaoh's Daughter.

This particular model of the Caravan rolled into the Arts Exchange as a quartet, and from the start it was pure magic. The notes from Bill's clarinet soared to the ceiling, and Gary's fills kept me smiling. Kevin's wife Patti and their three children were there for the show, as were many friends from the area. By the second song several people were dancing, and for the rest of the afternoon a festive atmosphere prevailed. Passers-by kept poking their head in to see and hear what was going on, and a number of them plunked down the nominal ticket price and were soon dancing! Thanks again to Jonathan Mann of the Westchester Arts Council for booking us.

A few weeks later Kevin, Basya and I were back in the Groove Room (where Washington Arms was hatched, of course) to recording some Mandolin Caravan material for an upcoming television special on the History Channel. We'll give you the airing date as soon as it comes our way.

I spent a week this February in Muchucuxcah, Mexico supporting Hombre Sobre la Tierra (Humankind of the Earth, a non-governmental organization) in their efforts to help the marginalized Mayan community there build an eco-tourism site. These Mayans live in poverty for many reasons, but the eco-tourism site they are constructing may allow them to better their economic and social future.

It was an amazing week living with these indigenous people and the courageous team of Americans who accompanied me. What a culture shock! I now know, and will remember forever, the best things in life are one cannot buy.

In Mexico we worked with Segismundo Lucidi, a very serious social justician with strong convictions and a bright smile. Earlier in his life he'd traveled around the world for fifteen years, eating mostly peanut butter, bread and bananas, he told us. Originally from the countryside outside Rome, Lucidi had fallen in love with Mexico during his peregrinations, and settled there. He has a wife and a son who is a musician. Under his leadership, Hombre Sobre la Tierra is teaching the Mayans "how to fish," as the proverb goes.

An expert in agriculture, Lucidi has a deep understanding of the destruction of the Mayan community, how their ability to farm and function has been destroyed over the years, plummeting them into great poverty. In the Yucatan, there have been eight major hurricanes in as many years. This weather brings devastation and disease; the consequences of the hurricane, in fact, are worse for the people living here than the hurricane itself. The soil has lost its fertility and the Mayans are unable to support themselves. Some have sold their land, others now work in Cancun or in factories. Meanwhile, the population has increased ten times. So, for the inhabitants of Muchucuxcah the idea is to somehow transcend the slash-and-burn system of agriculture with eco-tourism.

As part of a trip sponsored by the American Jewish World Service and supporting the liaision efforts of Rabbi Tom Weiner, six adults and ten amazing teenagers gave up their winter vacation--and their cellphones, computers, beer and chocolate--to live in the woods off the only road in Muchucuxcah, staying in palapas (simple huts) with dirt floors and sleeping in hammocks.

Mornings started early and work days were long. We moved rocks and red earth, limestone, ash and woodchips. We planted papaya trees and built terraces for them. We ate with our new friends and hosts in small groups. Our common language was Spanish. Though the Mayan children and adults smiled and laughed, their lives are far from well. They are extremely poor. For example, if a 6-year-old falls sick, there is no money to take a bus to the nearest clinic, let alone pay for medical care.

The aim of building the eco-tourism site in Muchucuxcah is to give the Mayans there a financially sustainable alternative to selling their land, working in factories and resorts.

Our last night culminated in a cultural exchange where we sang each other songs and told of our affection and respect for each other. I noticed their dignity and the great interest with which they listened to us. They stood still, never chatted and applauded our songs. I'd never been treated better in my whole life.

A week filled with hard work, sun, fresh fruits and vegetables, the blessings of the earth and all its wondrous elements--I can't wait to go back next year!

The Starving Artist Café and Gallery is a true listening room located towards the end of the strip on City Island, NY. Elliot and Monika offer a charming potpourri of food, art and music with their family and friends buzzing throughout the place. When I drove over the causeway with the Green Man the moon had just risen like a massive orange low on the horizon. The Empire State Building was visible in the distance, tiny compared to the blackness of the water lapping on the nearby shore. As usual, the cafe was filled with romantic couples drinking wine, a number of hip teenagers, well-known photographer Susan Farley and even Tom Bitondo, a killer keyboardist from Yorktown, showed up to hear some Turk tunes with his lovely wife, family and friends.

I played two sets on guitar and mandolin while a local recording studio captured the show. Some of the 'live' tracks from the show will be available to you soon enough on the tunes page of this site. Highlights for me were "Broadway," "Amanda," "Silver Ring" (both off the forthcoming Washington Arms) and a cover of "Going to California," perhaps the most gorgeous song Led Zeppelin ever cut. Long live the Starving Artist!

I brought my band to Manhattan, destination the Bitter End...

You know, the famous nightspot in Greenwich Village, where Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Bill Cosby and so many more had once hit the stage on the way to...somewhere else. The club is still going strong. There was a great house as I rolled in with Curtis, a fellow guitarslinger, and the Green Man -- a formidable posse. The energy in the club was buzzing as many fans, longtimers and new 'uns, came out to support our show. We debuted material that will soon be released on our upcoming recording, Washington Arms, and also broke out some oldies from What Gives. Some esteemed attendees: Newlywed Matt Shanley brought his camera and lovely wife. D-rock was on hand, as was Swavy and his pals, Beautiful Deb and Jenn Bloom, a chanteuse from upstate. And holding up the end of the bar were my old friends Rosko and Vanessa Walters. (Rosko had a #1 hit on the dance charts last summer, and is creating some bon fide mindbending music these days, blending rock and techno -- check him out on MySpace.com -- while Vanessa choreographs and dances with Fischer-Spooner.)

Our set was slamming, natch, and enjoyed by all. Electric guitar in hand, I was joined by Kevin Hupp on drums, Kevin Jenkins on bass and C.P. Roth on keyboards. We hit high boil on a number of the new tunes, like "Into Nothing," "Queen of the Set," "Sky," "All Over You" and "Silver Ring," a potential single for the summer slow-down. And we busted out a cover of Ten Years After's "I'd Love to Change the World" -- still entirely apropos over thirty years after the fact!

Keep an eye and both ears open for Washington Arms: The disc has been mastered and is now being gift-wrapped. We're gearing up to release it amidst characteristic celebratory panache.

Thanks to all who made it to the Bitter End -- you made it a great gig! Hope to see the rest of you soon.

The Craft

Walking inside the Hit Factory I saw John Lennon's mug staring at me. We dusted off the Hit Factory sketches and pushed play.

The winter before last (December 2003), my friend Del invited me to cut some sketches and tracks with him at New York's infamous and now defunct, Hit Factory. Derek, D-Rock, had introduced us at Lincoln Park, a fine, local Hell's Kitchen watering hole. Del is in it for the music and I knew I could trust him to do what we set out to do: cut a bunch of sketches to reflect upon and develop. In retrospect, this became the first recording step in our new record.

Walking inside the Hit Factory I saw John Lennon's mug staring at me. Lennon's face adorned a gold album hanging on the wall. There were hundreds of framed records on the wall, but John caught my attention as if to say, "Don't fuck it up Turk — and have fun you bastard - that is why we got into this, remember?"

I remembered when I recorded at the Hit Factory for the first time with Russ Irwin, Phoebe Snow and Phil Ramone. It seems a lifetime ago. Russ is an extremely talented person scoring films, playing keyboards for Aerosmith, Sting and other top acts. I heard from Phil that he really liked "What Gives," which Russ plays keys on. Going into meet Del, I appreciated the days I spent with Phil when he shared with me the subtlety and meaning of great song writing through his work experience with Peter Yarrow, Paul Simon, Billy Joel and others. In the studios of the Hit Factory during the Russ Irwin sessions, Phil would give me invaluable information I had applied to my life and craft. Thank you again Phil and Russ.

Tonite with Del, we'd cut about 40 tunes over the late night hours. New Turk Sketches. What happened to those tracks?

I listened to them a little and worked on the songs, playing some out, letting others collect dust. Producer and drummer Kevin Hupp and I were speaking in the fall of 2004. He and I felt like it was a good time to make a new Matt Turk record. We dusted off the Hit Factory sketches and pushed play. We rated the sketches, separating wheat from chaff and within weeks we started recording "Into Nothing", "Without Her" and "Nowhere to Go" at the Groove Room, Kevin's studio.

We continued getting together and working on tracks. "Sky", "Amanda" and "Endurance" followed. Our team was working on the recording. Kevin Jenkins on bass, C.P. Roth and Rob Clores on keys, Jock Guthrie on guitar, Producer Kevin Hupp on drums, vocals, guitar and percussion. Saul Zonana came in and did some great background vocals. Saul has a sweet new record out called "42 days" that is produced by Adrian Belew. I showed up of course to play and record some Cuban Oud, Mandolin, 6, 12 and nylon string acoustic guitars, a Strat, Starfire, Telecaster, Les Paul, Epiphone electric guitars and to sing.

The making of this new record has been a fine process with a really good pace. We have had the time to develop the songs live with the band and actualize them in the studio. The combination of steadily recording and performing has been good for us. Playing The Bitter End and The Living Room and other smaller, fine venues and recording the shows has been really helpful in getting the new material honed.

As of mid-summer 2005, the time of this journal entry, we have ten tracks cut and a fine new set of music.

Kevin Hupp has been a treasure and pleasure to work with: a great man with a beautiful family, I respect him as a person and have thrived in the Groove Room. As a musician and producer he is amazing and has completely come through with my music. Yes, his experience of working with Eddie Van Halen, Rick Derringer, Maceo Parker, Sarah McClachlan, Rufus Wainright and others has been a good match for me. He lived with my songs and nurtured them to come to life and his vision as a producer is a beautiful one. We have believed in each other since the beginning and soon you can just push play and witness this. We look forward to finalizing this process of making this new record so it can be released and you can hear it. It's coming soon.

Entry No.25;   February 2005

Israel '04

Music is better than a passport and there is nothing better than being on the ground.

I am lucky to know Rabbi Matthew Gewirtz and through his leadership we were able to visit Israel in December.

Israel is one of the most hopeful places for the world. Hitting the crossroads I was riding into Jerusalem on Christmas Eve, ascending the hills. It brought the sounds of major religions to the ears. I heard Jews praying at the Kotel (part of the outer western wall of the Temple the Roman Herod built). I heard the Muezzin calling Muslims to pray at the Dome of the Rock. I heard bells ringing at the Church of the Gesthemane. All that was missing was the announcement that Tibet's Dalai Lama would be the newly elected mayor of Jerusalem, the international capital of the world. I am dreaming, but if I don't I will die.

With mandolin in hand we visited children in hospitals, senior centers, schools and tried to bring joy for people on the edge.

At a hotel near the alarmingly shrinking mineral rich Dead Sea I spent the early part of the evening crying. I had been watching the news of the recent Tsunami. Seeing people putting up fliers looking for lost ones touched my memories of 9/11 and my memory of loss is raw. After a quiet uneventful dinner I had my guitar with me as Matt and I walked into the lobby to chat. He was spontaneously greeted by a couple of kids, Arab Israeli's on vacation with their families from East Jerusalem. Matt and the kids started dancing and playing. They laughed together and as I watched, I was moved by their beauty and grace as they were having fun. I turned and saw the extended family. There were about 35 adults and children, sitting and watching us. A woman and man signalled to me to play guitar. I smiled and sat next to them and started playing a James Brown, New York style funk riff. This medium slow paced funk I have been playing forever. It is the hippie rock that was popular when I was in college. It is the groove Blues Traveler, Spin Doctors and The Hour were into. I still love it. It works all the time, and this moment was no different. I started jamming and everyone started clapping and dancing, hooting and hollering. The crowd swelled in the lobby as Rabbi Matt, myself and now adults and children, Arab, Jewish, American, Israeli, were getting down without much language and no premeditation. Matt led the kids in limbo. One of the Arab fathers started singing in English, "I am a crazy fool." His eyes were rolling in his head and his face was submerged by an enormous smile. I sang, "I am a crazy fool." Dancing, clapping, laughing, relating, partying, we were different cultures sharing joy. I then played a popular Israeli folk/peace movement song, "Od Yavo". People sang along. The words mean Peace will come to the entire world, and we sang peace in Hebrew "Shalom", Arabic "Salaam"and English. The song itself is melodically quite like Cat Stevens "Peace Train".

I led a call and response, I shouted peace and they responded. I taught them Aiko, Aiko, Hey Now, New Orleans style and started clapping the Bo Diddley 3/2 Clave. Everyone clapped.

After about 20 minutes, with 75 or so people gathered, things dissolved. I sighed, smiled at a couple of lingering kids and got on the elevator. I felt very uneasy. Why? This was a genuine spontaneous good exchange of joy between people from different cultures and worlds compromised by extremists. It was so easy to be pleasant and its ease suprised me. We all want peace, and regular people and families want to live regular lives and that's why when we run into each other, to dance, sing, clap and laugh and then head on our way.

Entry No.24;   November 2004

Garden of Eden '04

Garden of Eden was a great beginning to an amazing fall. On my way, I stopped in Greenfield at a breakfast spot with local cheeses, sprouts, tomatoes, breads and meats. Great coffee. The rolling hills and calm weather didn't jive with news about the hurricanes that were pounding Florida. I was concerned about my dad who lives down there, so I gave him a call and like so many of us so often, he dodged a bullet and the storms missed him. I think about all the folks that got hit by the storms and realize again that without waging war, people suffer enough through natural catastrophes. If all we did was help each other recover from natural catastrophes, we would have our hands more than completely full.

The Wormtown Festival folks were moving around the grounds with Nascar and Tour de France like efficiency. It was dusty and misty and everybody was bouncing. There was an occasional wipe out. It was early morning and there was a foggy, sunny haze. It had been a night of camping, dancing and exploring time at Wormtown's annual festival. Worm people are good people. I was greeted with many hello's and warm, smiling faces.

Star Drooker is a great musician, photographer, artist and philanthropist whom I first met on the Café Siné scene in New York City in the late 80's. He was with a band called Native Tongue. Years later, I found my way to the Fire and Water Café, Star and his wife Trish's venue/art space/vegan restaurant in Northampton, MA. We reconnected and I began a to perform there regularly.

Star and Trish founded Salmon Boy Foundation after their first son Jesse lived a painfully short 19 days with a unique heart. Star and I connected on a Jungean type super-consciousness regarding Salmon Boy. Let me explain.

About a week before I reconnected with Star I had a dream that I was a salmon spawning upstream. My dream was stark realism as I struggled to swim upstream, over rocks, past the teeth of a grizzly bear. It was an underwater dream, though there were a few moments when I jumped out of the water. As a scuba diver and a psychedelicist, this dream was and archtypal vision for me. It was like an American Indian vision quest revelation. As an artist, it has deep meaning for me.

When I saw Star again he was singing about the same thing. I breathed halleluya and was home again. My first CD is dedicated to the memory of his son Jesse.

I played the Fire and Water many times and Star would join me on stage often. As a music fan I always enjoy Ani diFranco's duet sets with her drummer. There's a crisp groove created between singer, guitarist and drummer. Without bass, lead guitar and keyboards, there's a freshness to the sound and space. Star arrived at GOE with his new cocktail kit (a small drum set) to join me on stage for two great sets.

We built a percussive sound. A lock between the strummy jangled quality of the acoustic guitar skating over the pointillism of the hi-hat, bass and snare drums. The drums act like feet that touch the ground as we walk, and the guitar, vocal and lyrics are the body's movement between steps. Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic" was a high point in the set. "Fifth and Faith" and "Wind Lift Me" were well received. A special shout to my friends in Strangefolk and Max Creek and the rest of the great roster of artists that weekend.

CMJ '04

Invited by the fine folks at Relix Magazine, the CMJ jamcase at the Lion's Den on my old stomping grounds near NYU in the West Village was great fun. More than 10,000 music professionals, artists and fans converge on New York City every year for CMJ Music Marathon. In addition to keynote speakers and an exhibition area with a live performance stage, the event features dozens of panels covering topics affecting all corners of the music industry. At night, you can catch thousands of performers at clubs throughout the city, plus celebrate film and music with the CMJ FilmFest.

When CMJ was still a puppy, The Hour (my first band) was on a compilation CD along with Live and TheThe. The CD is now a collectors item. I've played in many showcases over the years but this was special because Relix fans support great music and I was honored to be invited to perform by them.

I met a fine young band from San Francisco called Ten Mile Tide, having the time of their life. Their name reminded me of the Byrds classic, Eight Miles High. My set was groove oriented. There was a lot of chugging and riffing coming from my amazing sounding Carlo Greco steel 6 string. I again discovered the powerful contrast during a solo acoustic set that can be made between a fat funky groove and fingerpicking a delicate pattern. This was the best thing that came out of this set for me artistically, realizing that a whisper can be louder than a scream and the tasteful balance of the two make for a captivating performance.

Harvestfest '04

Travelling to and from The 10th Annual New York State Harvestfest and Freedom Fair near Utica, NY the countryside was splattered with the colors and details of fall. It was a glorious foliage ride filled with the reds, coppers, bronzes, irons, greens and browns that make up the joyous palette that is the peak of autumn. I played a solo acoustic set of originals and covers, including Led Zeppelin's "Rainsong", sandwiched between King Vito and Melvin Seals on a chilly, drizzly fall afternoon while the Harvestfest party peaked in front of me.

Corsica/Le Corse

Off the south of France and west of Italy is the famous island of Corsica, birthplace of Napoleon.

I recently visited the bottom of this amazing, under-developed, modern island. Originally a Medici colony, it is a fiercely independent place, very disagreeable to Paris' reaching hand over the centuries. It has its own culture and language. There are Gypsy Kings like troubadours and nylon string guitar, throat singing music throughout. It seems we are nearing the end of Corsican independence as French authorities are cracking down on the most fierce terrorist independence movement alive in Europe, including even the I.R.A. who are still yet to disarm.

Corsicans don't want Corsica developed. I imagine they feel like I do and Jim Morrison who said it well: "What have they done to the earth? Tied her up in fences and dragged her down."

Who needs another strip mall? Corsica is beautiful in its undeveloped wilderness. There are wild cattle and boars, and much wildlife. Rocks, mountains and beaches everywhere. The Corsican market is incredible. There are kegs of wine, vats of olives, piles of fresh bread and cheeses, succulent sausages and delightful amaretto cookies to mention a few of my favorites. The food is fresh and invigorating. Have I inspired you to move there? Think again, it is next to impossible to move there and set up shop. I met a man from Normandy who went there 25 years ago, built a fine house and opened a beach restaurant. His restaurant was blown up. He and his family rent their house during the summer, living in a trailer to make ends meet. Along a main road, there is a blown up disco.

Paris, France

About the Paris pictures: Do these pictures from Paris answer the question: Where does Matt go for inspiration? Paris. Oui? No? Is this not the answer?

There's a couple of shots of Matt playing in the type of music store you'd expect to see Sting or Jimmy Page hanging out. Also Matt writing down new ideas for songs along the Seine. Scribble here, scribble there, make a song. Easy as quiche.

Ahh Paris. It is truly a place to be inspired and do some writing. I needed a little pick-me-up and had to go to there to get my juices flowing. Her name is Pauline, and she's lovely. The city itself is the gray of the slate they use in the architecture, but there is nothing about the culture that is gray. Nothing finer than hitting a café in Le Marais late night for Steak Frites and Kronenbourg, before wandering into an ancient musical instruments store you would expect to see Sting or David Bromberg in, where I played a mandolin worth more than a lot as well as some guitars from the last century. The owner, Andre Bissonnet is a real craftsmen. He works his instruments and could play them all. He's a real Parisian Carlo Greco. I had a great time in his shop and vow to return a wealthier version of myself.

At night, every ten minutes the Eiffel Tower went of like a sparkler - a beloved leftover from the millenium change that Parisians have kept up with. We caught Johnny Clegg and Savuka in concert. Brilliant. I also enjoyed a party with Paris's art set, celebrating a new book about what inspires the best French songwriters of today. And what about those chocolate shops? Yummm!!! Indulge. I know what inspires New York songwriters of today. Paris is for lovers.

Clearwater Festival

Everyone had commented on 2003 and the weather washout it was. We were all hit pretty hard and we all got up. I have always been inspired by Pete Seeger, who along with Sonny Ochs, Toshi Seeger and others developed this festival to be the main fundraiser for the environmental justice organization known as Clearwater.

Like Bob Marley says, "You can't know where you're going if you don't know where you're from."

So, how did I get here? Searching for justice, before I was even born, Pete visited the Highlander School in Virginia. It was there he, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Guy and Candie Carawan and Zilphia Horton first created and discovered "We Shall Overcome." Pete told me Dr. King hit them with it and how they were all sparked. A few years later Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel would march alongside Dr. King. (Heschel second from right, King fourth from right in Selma to Montgomery March 1965) Heschel's legacy is at the center of todays Jewish spiritual movement in New York and around the world. To do it Heschel's way, you have to be non-violent, get out there with your feet to make it happen and be sure to sing along the way. Hold on tight!

At Clearwater, inner-city kids and anybody from Beacon, Poughkeepsie - even New York City get on the Hudson River to learn about the inter-connectedness of all life. And this is what is important for us all to share in.

More about Clearwater '04

Havana, Cuba

Cuba is an amazingly beautiful country with fine people and a complicated history. If only the U.S.A. could have treated Cuba and Puerto Rico like Hawaii. We would have 52 states then. PR is practically a state, but they want to remain a protectorate, whatever that is. Tao Rodriguez-Seeger from the Mammals told me 48 percent of men drafted and sent to Vietnam were from Puerto Rico. In PR you pay US taxes, are not represented in Washington D.C. and are drafted into the US Army. Cuba could be a state very easily. I will mention it to Senator John Kerry when I see him.

In Cuba, like much of our world, many people are suffering and impoverished. The economy is in a shambles. Whether you are in NYC, Gaza or Havana, it is all about the three E's: education, employment and economy. In Havana I met mothers begging for the need of milk for their babies. There is a great lack of catalytic converters and tires. There are no building materials, no steel, concrete, bricks. Plenty of mojitos, salsa, cerveza, expresso, sugar cane juice, rhumba and bland food, especially chicken for the touring. There are no spices. The embargo makes impoverished people suffer more. Cuba has a strong colonial feel because of its history. It is also steeped in marxist leninist revolution. And to think Nixon had a chance with Castro!! It has a cold war feel and yet is very American. Che Guevara is huge cult of personality. His picture is everywhere. I thought a lot about Dr. Martin Luther King's example of non-violent demonstration.

Cuba has conquered racism. I wish we could here in America. It is so refreshing to see people of all color and ethnicity being together effortlessly.

Along with my buddy Tom and some friends, we delivered over 500 pounds of medicine on a US government sanctioned trip. Cuba has good doctors but they lack medication. We brought meds to community run pharmacy's in Havana, Cienfuegos, and Santa Clara. Across the water from Cienfuegos there's a nuclear reactor the USSR put 1.2 billion dollars into. It's incomplete. When are we going to close Indian Point? The medicines we brought will help some people, even prolong some lives. Back in the states, I noticed medical commercials during the academy awards and recognized meds we brought. When are we going to give AIDS drugs on a large scale to Africans?

I made music where we went with local musicians and on my own. I could sit in on "Chan Chan", "Cuarto de Tula", "Oigame Compay" and "Guantanamera". One night I sang "Dear Mr. President" and the refrain "could I have a dollar more" had new significance. In Cuba, the US dollar is everything as far as currency goes. How can this be? Castro's communist island uses the greenback as her currency? If you are a typical Havana man, one US dollar will get you 25 expressos. For me one. Everything cost me a buck. More or less. I went down with 300 singles. Spent them all.

Cuba is music and Havana is one hot town. Salsa, bolero, son, rhumba. Lazaro Valdes and Bambaleo are my new Michael Franti and Spearhead of Cuban salsa. Superstars!! Also the National Folkloric Center in Havana rocked a saturday afternoon of rhumba to the orishas. I danced and an old woman told me with a smile in Spanish, 'you don't dance like a green-go'. I took that as a compliment. Met Dr. R, the Alan Lomax of Cuba. Pete Seeger and Henrietta Yurchenko had told me about him. He musically oriented us somewhat. He is an expert in Cuban music and we enjoyed learning about the folkloric origins of Cuban music and her instrumentation. He will be lecturing in Brussels in May.

My absolute personsal highlight was when I went to the instrument factory near the baseball stadium. Dr. R pointed me there and I met the manager and the foreman. We toured the factory and saw how well Cuban instruments are made. I picked up a Cuban Oud, different from an Arabic one, more like a mandolin, and am learning how to play it.

Gracias a la vida.

Cancun, Mexico

Cancun is gorgeous, especially the isolated beaches and cliffs. It is home to Mayan culture. They created a near perfect lunar calendar and exceptional mathematics. They cultivated meditation and prayer rooms. In their inner-Yucutan holy city, there were 30,000 people making up the priestly class. They had blow-darts and slingshots for the Spanish when they arrived with swords. The elite of the priestly class played the Mayan ball game. It was a game of 7 on 7 on a split level field. 6 on 6, and then on each sideline, a meter and a half high and wide. One man stood below a centered 4 meter high vertical hoop made of stone. Snakes and skulls are carved into the stone. They played with a rubber ball smaller than a soccer ball. They couldn't use their hands. It was like soccer with a taller vertical basketball hoop. Mayan men were 1.5 meters tall. They drilled gold and stone into their teeth. Mayan ball games lasted up to 6 or 8 months. When a point was scored, the scorer was brought to the center of the field and decapitated. It adds even more insight into my tune King Blood.

In Cancun I made new friends from as far away as Istanbul. I enjoyed playing almost every night for an interested international set. Highlights for me were covering U2's "One", Van Morrison's "The Way Young Lovers Do", and working out new originals. There was a regal heron that would come to a bay alcove near my room. Also a crocodile named Albert named after a fisherman he bit who taunted him with fish. Albert the fisherman was okay, and the croc was henceforth named Albert.

SF

Flying out of the Burbank Airport I ran into Scott, the drummer from SF's up-and-coming band, Tea Leaf Green. How synchronistic to bump in to each other like that! We rode the train through the tube under the bay and caught up on where we'd been since last we met. Rolling into Market Street I met my friend Elizabeth. We made our way to Café du Nord. During prohibition it was a speak easy. Scott's friend's were playing, celebrating ten years as a band and performed a great set. The lighting was fantastic.

The following night, the members of Tea Leaf Green and girlfriends came down to the Last Day Saloon to listen and support me. I met them at Berkfest a couple of summers back and it was great to see them again on their home turf. Later we were hanging at the Elbo Room, shooting pool and listening to Afro-Cuban music, dancing and laughing the night away.

A first blizzard has blanketed everything along the cliffs of the Hudson.

Harvestfest 2003

Looking back through the white, dark brown, muted greens and blues to Echo Lake the site of Harvestfest. The sunshine, throughout a brilliant indian summer weekend, was the star. Iridescent green and blue shone on the lake. Concert-goers strolled as dragonflies soared through lillies and me. Magic was in the air. I rolled in as my dying Jetta "Maggie" was approaching her last stand. I miss her. Pulling in I was greeted by Damn Sam and the Evil Genius himself. The stage was like a dusty oasis. Cold beer like you crave in Texas in July quickly cooled my tempo. Freezing and in a can it goes down quick and cold. PBR, Bud, Busch, even Mickey's Big Mouth. The Evil Genius, Gregg Jarvis and I saddled up to the bar. Tequila tamed until wanderlust surged. Into adventure I landed lakeside far from the stage. Across the lake I could hear "The Wall" cranking, the sound crystal clear. Roger Waters and David Gilmour called, screamed, even whispered as the sun set over Echo Lake. Laying down on the moss I fell into dreams. My last words were, "devastating beauty in time...dancing Dionysis, oh, good Ganesh."

LA

I awoke as the train pulled into LA's Central Station. En route I saw where the earth had been scorched from recent fires. When warm Santa Ana winds blew, soot, star dust and debris showed the skies to be blacker than Mordor. It appeared a tough omen for the "Governator". Alongside the oceanfront seals and surfers would gather. Captain Aubrey's ship was there, fresh from Galapagos. Art-deco Central Station and David Lynch's Mulholland Drive whispered in my ear, 'this is LA'. I was picked up by the Director, who with his muse brought me blindfolded to the banquet. We dined in glory to the chorus, "Winds of time will blow your life away, and moving faster." Then we rode in a chariot to Genghiz Cohen, a kosher chinese joint and served up great songs. Instead of an alarm, I was awakened at "4am, it was Amanda once again, and she wanted to know will her sun ever rise?" It's coming soon.

SF

Flying out of the Burbank Airport I ran into Scott, the drummer from SF's up-and-coming band, Tea Leaf Green. How synchronistic to bump in to each other lke that! We rode the train through the tube under the bay and caught up on where we'd been since last we met. Rolling into Market Street I met my friend Elizabeth. We made our way to Café du Nord. During prohibition it was a speak easy. Scott's friend's were playing, celebrating ten years as a band and performed a great set. The lighting was fantastic.

The following night, the members of Tea Leaf Green and girlfriends came down to the Last Day Saloon to listen and support me. I met them at Berkfest a couple of summers back and it was great to see them again on their home turf. Later we were hanging at the Elbo Room, shooting pool and listening to Afro-Cuban music, dancing and laughing the night away.

Entry No.20;   September 2003

Summer is a great season for festivals, music and travelling. I get inspired travelling and I find myself affected by what I experience. I've been writing new songs which I'll be playing out soon, so you can look forward to that.

N'Orleans

At the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, I played a few shows at Café Brasil and at Touro Synagogue's Jazz Fest with their featured artist Ellis Marsalis. In the Big Easy. I had the pleasure of meeting some of my musical heroes including Fred Wesley, Buckwheat Zydeco, Melvin Sparks and Bobby Watley (the king of Acid-Jazz). Festival highlights included performances by The Neville Brothers, Joe Cocker and Lucinda Williams. Travelling with my buddy, chef-extraordinaire, Erik Peters, food was of course an important highlight of the trip. I learned the true virtue of hot sauce and the value of cold beer.

Hot 'tlanta

On to Atlanta for the annual Music Midtown Festival where I played the grassroots corporate-sponsor-free stage where I felt right at home. The festival is in the heart of midtown Atlanta which results in audio chaos; Def Leppard bouncing off skyscrapers and colliding with LL Cool J. I avoided the cacaphony by making my way to the front of the stage for the Gypsy Kings, Aimee Mann, and Susan Tedeschi.

Clearwater '03

The unrelenting summer rain set a soggy tone for Clearwater's Hudson River Revival in Croton-on-Hudson, NY. None-the-less, a great weekend was had by all who braved the weather. In addition to hosting the Circle of Song stage, I performed alongside Matt Fried. I became acquainted with great artists including Jill Sobule, Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams and Jack and Daria Grace and a host of other talented artists and music lovers.

The Berkshires

Up to Berkshire Mountains of Massachussetts for the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival where I performed in showcase style with Acoustic Live and Tribes Hill. Musically, KJ Denhert and Fred Gillen Jr. turned me on the most. It was great to see old friends like former bandmate Carey Harmon (The Hour) and Todd Schaeffer whip up the crowd in their band Railroad Earth. They played a fantastic set of high-energy, harmony drenched jamgrass.

Arlo Guthrie's message about the world was the most meaningful to me.   He said he meets folks he completely disagrees with, but because all parties care about the future they are meeting to figure it out.

Richard Thompson played a brilliant, beautiful set that included his classic tale of love and/of motorcylces, '57 Vincent. The Berkshires are one of my favorite spots on this earth, and camping atop the farm was magical. Early in the morning I (half)expected to see Gandalf riding up on Shadowfax. Next year I want to be on that bill!

At Berkshire Mountain Music Festival I performed a solo "tweener" set followed by Steve Kimock on the big stage. Beads of sweat poured off my face in the late afternoon sun, while the enthusiastic, but very hot, crowd sat beneath big shady trees on top of the slope. Berkfest united me with new fans and old friends including Dean Bowman, a unique and gifted singer with an arsenal of songs and stories to share. Dean's musical cohort, Twisted Tuesdays electronic percussionist Gregg Jarvis, joined me adding a funky groove to a wet but wonderful 4:20 set on Sunday.

My favorite band was Brooklyn's Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, who delivered that Fela Kuti infectious groove. A Berkfest treat was the humor evident in the music of Fuzz (Deep Banana Blackout) and Stephen Kellogg. I met Warren Haynes, who played to a rain-drenched crowd on Sunday and Butch Trucks, who was there looking for new bands to sign to his label Flying Frog. Hey Butch, looky here!

It

Phish's "It" provided an golden opportunity for my first job in film. As assistant to a dolly-grip I saw all six sets perched in front of the soundboard. Watching Jackson, the dolly-grip I assisted, was like watching a ballet. True grace. Lots of mud. It was pretty silly to watch the few fans who tried to jump on the dolly tracks while we were filming, unaware of the delicate nature of the dolly. Phish delivered an incredible event, as always. They never disappoint me. Trey rules!

Garden of Eden

Strangefolk's swan song, the 8th annual Garden of Eden, was a great opportunity to hang out and support my dear old friends Luke Patchen and Jen Phelps-Montgomery, with whom I played in The Hour. Backstage I met the infamous Mike Gordon, who performed that day with Max Creek. "Matt Turk? I've heard of you." Wow!

Meanwhile, Mars shone brightly above the windy shores of Lake Champlain. Wow!! Girls dancing on the beach...wow!!!

At the summer beach party on Fire Island hosted by Bruce and Mark Becher we all ate a lot of Max & Mina's Ice Cream! I love those folks! They really know how to put on a great show.

Finally, I went up to Poughkeepsie to see my old pals, Blues Traveler. John Popper is truly incredible. We were all really happy to see each other again at the after-show party. Memories of my younger days gigging around Manhattan with them came back in a sweet way.

Entry No.19;   May 2003

Spring is generous. It began two miles high in Crested Butte, Colorado.

Back in New York, I brought the band to Tribeca and played with Jen and Luke Patchen during their April residency there. I sat in with them a few times and had a lot of fun playing with Jen and Luke. Their duo is called Patch of Eden. Luke also plays in Strangefolk, and we all played together in "The Hour" years ago. The last jam at Tribeca was with Jen, Luke, and old friends Greg Koerner and Tom Kaelin, now the rhythm section with former Grateful Dead/Tubes keyboardist Vince Welnick's band Gent Treadly. Good jams were had by all.

Rabbi Matthew Gewirtz invited me to visit schools, hospitals, military bases, political offices, centers for the elderly, colleges and the street. We met with Jews and Christians, Moslems and Druse, Arabs and Israelis of all ages.

I chose not to tell most of my family I was going to the center of the world's hot-bed of controversy as a troubadour at a time when most people would rather bomb it or stay away. We kept our fears under wraps, even with the gas masks in the hotel.

Speaking with an Arab Israeli leader returning from Mecca, I asked if other Arabs hassled him because he was an Israeli citizen. He said it was worse. In Jordan, Israeli passports are exchanged for Jordanian ones. Once in Saudi Arabia praying, this man noticed the carpet he was on. It's label read "Made in Israel".

A rare 9 inch snowfall in Jerusalem was especially brilliant. Most moving was a memorial we had for the former leader Yitzhak Rabin at the site he was slain. One evening I jammed with old friend Jon Miller and the Grinders. E. James Smith filmed the entire trip for an upcoming documentary.

Check out my Israeli road sign collection.

Nothing to worry about at the moment, my kind of moment. These boys on horseback have so much dignity. What happens in our world that we diminish each others dignity so? What have we done? These boys don't know, but one day they will probably be robbed of their innocence. All one can do is let go gratefully on a Bahia beach.

What the hell is a Caiperinha?

Am I really admitting I read Vanity Fair on the internet? He advised me to pick up a copy of "Warriors of God" by James Reston Jr. I was inspired to read passages aloud to my grandparents while relaxing on Del Mar Beach. And La Jolla too. This history of the Third Crusade illuminates the foundation for the clash of cultures in the Middle East and throughout the world today. Thanks Steve.

Opus 40 is this outrageous stone earth sculpture built over 37 years by artist Harvey Fite. Named Opus 40 because the goal was to finish it in 40 years, the sculptor died in the 37th year of construction.

We were in Sao Paolo, Brazil, when Spencer invited me to play at his Opus 40 shoot. He was exhibiting work at the Biennial. We reconvened under glorious Catskill Mountain fall foliage. I chilled on a stump, gazed at the mountains, faced the models, played trance-like open tunings on guitar and mandolin, sang Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic" and Led Zep's "Thank You" and the Beatles "Because" honoring all these amazing people coming together making it possible for Spencer Tunick to create this amazing artwork.