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Music For The New Documentary Lion of Judah
Matt Turk provides music for the new documentary Lion of Judah, scoring this hopeful film that chronicles the story of the Holocaust survivor Leo Zisman, 83, as told through Leo's eyes. Mr. Zisman leads a group of young adults, Jews and non-Jews, back to Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic and through one of humanity's darkest periods. The film-maker, Matt Mindell, talks to young Poles about their opinions, some sadly unchanged from their grandparents' deep-rooted anti-Semitic feelings. As participants discuss differing viewpoints, we find that the Holocaust is not just an apparition haunting the past. By journey's end, we gain the courage to change the world, inspired by the strength and message of Leo, Lion of Judah. Matt Turk's score includes haunting, eerie electric guitar, mandolin, guitar, banjo, rhythm/percussion segments and more. The Klezmatics Lisa Gutkin appears as a special guest on violin. Lion of Judah is hitting the film festival circuit this year. For information about the film please contact Matt Mindell 
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Tribes Hill Solstice December 18, 2011
Tribes Hill, the Hudson Valley New York based collective gathered on December 18, 2011 to celebrate the Winter Solstice, a traditional toast to the shortest day of the year. The concert was Tribes Hill's 10th annual and was held in Yonkers, NY at the Beczak Environmental Center on the banks of the brilliant Hudson River. The concert was a benefit for Tribes Hill and Beczak. There were two sets of live music filled with many great moments. Highlights included The Levins killer version of a Yiddish drinking song where everyone repeatedly shouted "OY!" James Durst and his beautiful wife Madhumita Chakrabartti led a gorgeous canticle that all enjoyed. Susan Kane, David Goldman, Iris Cohen and Ilana Arazie all stood out with wonderful musical contributions. Eddie Denise and Eric Puente were the rhythm section for the entire concert and they did a fabulous job. The love felt and community Tribes Hill fosters is the gift of this season for all who attended. Jack Hardy and Terence Martin, who both departed this year, were honored in song. Matt Turk is completing his second year as President of Tribes Hill. For more information and to get involved, please visit tribeshill.com Click on images to enlarge
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December 14, 2011 Matt's longtime friend Basya Schechter celebrated the release of her new recording "Songs of Wonder" (Tzadik) at New York City's Le Poisson Rouge on November 30, 2011. Matt appeared as a special guest on mandolin for "My Song". The stellar band including drummer Rich Stein, trumpeter Frank London, violinist Megan Weeder Gould and keyboardist Uri Sharlin complemented Basya's new work, setting the Yiddish poetry of the revered Civil Rights advocate and Jewish philosopher, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel to music. Colorful arrangements were heard at the sold out venue. For more information about Basya, please visit pharaohsdaughter.com.
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Irvington Town Hall September 18, 2011 Matt Turk & The Hobo Caravan joined Tribes Hill friends Hope Machine and Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams for the 2nd annual Howling Wolf Festival to benefit South Salem, New York's Wolf Conservation Center. The setting for the concert was Irvington Town Hall: a legendary, majestic Hudson River theatre. The festival was presented by Common Ground Community Concerts, a leading advocate for bettering the community through music and the performing arts. The Wolf Conservation Center is dedicated to teaching about wolves, their relationship to the environment, and the human role in protecting their future. Atka, an eight-year Arctic gray wolf, who serves as one of WCC's beloved ambassadors, made a special appearance during the evening. Mid-show, Slambovia's Joziah Longo howled to Atka attempting to get him to howl back. The music during the evening was inspired and there was constant collaboration between artists, musicians and friends culminating in the Slambovians Grand Finale. To support the Wolf Conservation Center, please go to nywolf.org   
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Brooklyn Bowl
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Summer Jams 2011
Summer 2011 kicked off with great Jams as Matt Turk joined Backwoods Jupiter for an electrifying set at Warwick Valley Winery's Dylan Fest for their stellar performance of Bob Dylan's Desire. The crowd was noticeably turned on by this 12 piece collective named after Abraham Lincoln and their ability to all come together seamlessly, much in the style of Hope Machine. Following Backwood Jupiter's set, multi-instrumentalists Turk, Fred Gillen Jr., Steve Kirkman, drummer Eric Puente, keyboardists Paul Silverman and Curtis Schmidt joined other artists, backing them up throughout the afternoon, including Rod Macdonald, The Kennedys and a rousing finale of "Like a Rolling Stone" led by Steve Forbert. Turk hosted Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival's inaugural Jam Tent Father's Day Weekend. Highlights included Maura Kennedy leading a stunning version of "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall", Fred Gillen Jr. sharing a great version of Phil Ochs "When I'm Gone" and Peter Yarrow leading a tribute to Mary Travers with his daughter Bethany. For Peter's tribute there was not a dry eye in the tent. The Jam Tent is not amplified and is modeled after a format seen at MerleFest and other great acoustic festivals. Many festival goers, artists and volunteers stopped by the Jam Tent to participate and witness the inaugural happening. Turk brought his band the Hobo Caravan to New York City's Living Room for a live show that was refreshing and fun. Flutist/Saxophonist Craig Dreyer commented that there was an "Astral Weeks" flavor in the air. Indeed!
Steve Forbert leads Like A Rolling Stone, Hobo Caravan plays the Living Room & Matt with Maura Kennedy
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Alive With Clive Winter 2011
In a segment that was filmed at the end of 2010, Gillen & Turk, together, and solo, appear on Alive with Clive Amongst other great tunes, "Silver Ring" and "Satchmo" were performed. Clive Swersky is the creator and host of Alive with Clive, a television show inspired by turning your passion into profit. He hosts best-selling authors, entrepreneurs, musicians and entertainers, artists, fashion designers, healing professionals, personal growth experts, real estate agents, web site designers, producers of film documentaries and others with stories of amazing courage, faith and commitment who are pursuing their passions in life and realizing their dreams.
Billboard Charts March 2011
Though not widely known, let alone unreported in Billboard Magazine, there is a Folk/DJ radio format that processes approximately 15,000 spins by approximately 160 DJs every month throughout the USA, Canada, Germany, Australia and New Zealand. Richard Gillmann of KCBS FM compiles the DJ spins and ranks the albums, artists and tracks. Due to his recording American Preservation, and the amount of spins the album received, including the DJ favorite "Mama Don't Allow", Matt Turk was a Top 2010 Folk Artist on Folk/DJ radio, http://nwfolk.com/topfolk/topartists2010.html The top 5 artists were:
2. Bob Dylan/Best Of The Original Mono Recordings: Song To Woody 3. Red Molly/James: Tear My Stillhouse Down 4. Pete Seeger/Acoustic Rainbow 5. Tim O'Brien/Chicken And Egg: My Girl's Waiting For Me
American Preservation & We're All Here
on Folk/DJ Chart October 2010
In The Studio
August 2010
As part of his continuing artist residency with B'nai Jeshurun, Matt participated in a BJ project with Piyut recording Jewish melodies from Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Iraq and throughout the region. Matt is recording a remake of Bob Dylan's Desire at Woody's House with Gillen, Corbalis, Kirkman, Tadd Kroneck, Curtis, Urgola and more friends for an upcoming release. Turk is also in the studio recording with Matt Fried on his new project.
American Preservation Tour, Northeast
August 2010
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American Preservation
February 2010
Pete Seeger Joins the Young in Song and Hope
December 10, 2009 Pete Seeger celebrated his new sing-along memoir Where Have All the Flowers Gone with a concert at the South Presbyterian Church in Dobbs Ferry, NY where close to 400 people packed in to join the young in song and hope. Seeger was onstage with a passel of kids – members of the recently formed Take me to the River Community Chorus with youngsters hailing from Hastings and the Coachmen Family Center in White Plains. Their leaders – Hastings musicians Jenny Murphy and Matt Turk – were on hand to lead the singing, encourage and strum guitar and mandolin. )
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Photos: W.L. Jackson, Ellen Fisher Turk, Susan Ruttman |
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Matt Turk American Preservation
Rockin' the Westies March 2011
Matt Turk performing at Genghis Cohen in LA Photo by Russ Irwin
Turk Interview Now Available Online
Matt Turk's July 2010 interview with WHUD's Catherine Michaels is now available here: Catherine is an avid supporter of the Hudson Valley music scene. This is her third interview with Matt Turk and this interview discusses American Preservation. Catherine refers to it as "An American Masterpiece" and cites "On the Turning Away" as her fave.
Turk Joins Malach in Studio
Winter 2011
Matt was tapped to play mandolin for Canadian recording artist Evan Malach and producer Malcom Burn. Evan's new Pop recording will soon be released. The sessions together were outstanding and fun. Malcolm Burn's Kingston, NY studio is a cavernous, creative oasis that is a delightful place to work. Malcolm is an 'artiste' who shares the same Fender Fullerton Lap Steel Guitar as Turk.
American Preservation Tour 2010:
Belgium, Israel, Paris October 2010
Tribes Hill
August 2010
American Preservation Tour, Midwest
August 2010
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American Preservation Tour, California
March 2010 Matt Turk's American Preservation Tour kicked off March 31, 2010 in California at San Diego's Lestat's West. Shows and events continued up the coast including a sold out CD release party at Los Angeles' Genghis Cohen, where Matt performed solo and with the American Preservation band featuring vocalist Gaby Moreno, drummer Sebastian Aymanns, bassist David Wagner and producer Dan Pinnella on guitar. American Preservation producer David Dobkin was in attendance to celebrate as was drummer Rick Marotta, producer Ric Markmann and friend Jango celebrating his birthday with an entourage! Turk continued up the coast with performances at Cal Poly, Smiley's in the hippie village of Bolinas, with Peter Kaukonen in attendance, a slamming show at Revolution in San Francisco's Mission with JC Flyer on board and the closer at the Pirate Cat, a co-bill with X's Excene Cervenka, hosted by Torrential Dissonance's Kieran Rossi. Listen to 4/10/10 Matt Turk Pirate Cat performance/interview here )
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Photos: Charity Baranowski, Ellen Fisher Turk |
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Matt Turk has been in the studio sitting in with )
Matt Turk's new recording American Preservation will be released March 15, 2010.
It is a collection of traditional songs and classic tunes
produced by David Dobkin and Dan Pinnella recorded live over a long weekend at Matter Music in Los Angeles. Singing, playing guitars,
mandolin and lap steel, Matt Turk leads a stellar band consisting of drummer Dean Butterworth, upright and electric bassist Chris Wagner,
keyboardist Chris Joyner on piano and Wurlitzer, vocalist Gaby Moreno, fiddler Gary Star, saxophonist Tracy Wannamae , harmonica player Jack
Rudy and Dan Pinnella on guitars, pedal steel, dobro and slide. Songs include "Bang a Gong," (T.Rex), "City of New Orleans," (Steve
Goodman) "On the Turning Away," (Gilmour/Moore) and more.
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