Matt Turk is a singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and veteran performer"RUST Magazine 2014 Album of the Year"
''Rust Magazine''. by Eric Petersen on November 19, 2014 based in the

Hudson Valley The Hudson Valley (also known as the Hudson River Valley) comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in the U.S. state of New York. The region stretches from the Capital District including Albany and Troy south to ...

New York State New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...

. He performs around the world both as a bandleader and an acoustic folk troubadour.

Early life and education

Turk grew up in

Westchester County, New York Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population o ...

and attended

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

, graduating Cum Laude with a B.A. in history and a minor in religious studies.

Career

At NYU he formed the band, The Hour, which played alongside

Blues Traveler Blues Traveler (formerly known as "The Establishment" or "The Black Cat Jam" or "The Establishment Blues Band") is an American rock band that formed in Princeton, New Jersey in 1987. They are known for extensive use of segues in live performance ...

, Dave Matthews and the

Spin Doctors Spin Doctors are an American alternative rock band from New York City, best known for their early 1990s hits "Two Princes" and "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong", which peaked on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart at No. 7 and N ...

. His band was a regular act at the Arrowhead Ranch, a music venue promoted by rock impresario Bill Graham. In June 1992, Turk teamed up with

Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notably ...

as part of The Street Singers, a group that taught folk songs to schoolchildren and adults in and around New York City. Turk's time with Seeger, and his year and a half stint working for

God's Love We Delive In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...

r, delivering food to folks homebound with AIDS, led him to write songs about social justice. Turk recorded with Pete Seeger and opened for Judy Collins, the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart, Fiona Apple, and The Doobie Brothers. Turk has created a number of solo albums, and performed on a number of others. His 2010 recording, American Preservation, produced by David Dobkin, placed at Number #20 on the folk/dj charts and is a collection of traditional standards and classics, ranging from Roy Acuff to Pink Floyd, and from Taj Mahal to T. Rex. His version of "America the Beautiful" with Gaby Moreno has been called "arguably the definitive acoustic version" by Music News Nashville.Janet Goodman
Matt Turk – American Preservation
Music News Nashville, May 13, 2014 Turk's 2014 album, ''Cold Revival'', attracted a number of positive reviews, including being named "Best album of 2014" by ''RUST'' magazine. As of 2020 Matt serves as the music director at Temple B’nai Jeshurun in Short Hills New Jersey

Selected discography

Solo *Cold Revival *American Preservation, 2010 *Fred Claus Soundtrack, Warner Brothers Records, 2007 *The Fog of War, 2007 special guest Pete Seeger *Washington Arms, 2006 *What Gives, 2002"What Gives Album Review"
''Virgin Radio'' * Turktunes, 1999 Session Musician *Pete Seeger The Storm King, 2013 *Grammy Nominated *Pete Seeger, Lorre Wyatt A More Perfect Union 2012 *Hope Machine, Big Green Hope Machine, 2009 Band Member *Gillen & Turk, Back's to the Wall, 2008 *Mandolin Caravan, Desert Soul, 2003 *The Hour, Songs of Sweden, 1992 *The Hour, Fricker-Nicker Sessions, 1991 *The Hour, Hold Back The Reins, 1989

References

* Monique Avakian
GREAT VIBE, Uber-Diverse, Port Chester is Not That Far, Let's Hear it for Matt Turk's Band
Patch, August 22, 2013.

External links

Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Turk, Matt Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American folk singers People from Westchester County, New York New York University alumni