User profile: Dave Turner
Details:
Dave Turner caught the music bug at age six from the Beatles' Hey Jude on a jukebox in Rochester, Minnesota. He began playing the piano at age seven and writing songs in grade school, drawing a great deal of inspiration from Elton John. His childhood piano teacher, Claire Berry, allowed him to forego Beethoven and Chopin at his recitals in favor of pieces such as Pete Townshend's Overture from Tommy. Through high school and college and in his 20s Dave performed with and composed music for several original music bands ranging from progressive (with the bands Mudai, Octavian and M5) to alternative rock (with The Search).
As a singer-songwriter, Dave performed in the 1990s at the Great Southeastern Freight Room in Decatur, Georgia. He worked as a pianist for his friend and fellow songwriter Ceph Sitton, and he played behind Ceph with fiddle player Tim Cape at the Blue Bird Cafe in Nashville. Based since 1998 in Asheville, North Carolina, he has performed and recorded as a solo artist and with the Dave Turner Band. His recordings include an EP entitled Five Songs (2000), the solo album Stories That Are True (2004), Could Have Talked All Night (2007), and 11-23-10 (2010).
Dave also sang the track Dick And Dolores on the 2010 album Joe's Cafe by Rupert Wates, and he has performed piano and vocals on the Joe's Cafe traveling road show in venues including the Metropolitan Room in New York City and Tressa's Downtown Jazz and Blues in Asheville.
Recorded at Collapseable Studios in West Asheville, the songs on Could Have Talked All Night were inspired by empty pockets and starry skies, Kentucky bourbon, late-night diners, old lovers, Blue Ridge mountains, California dreams, desperation, roadside shrines, hangovers, unsent letters, beer joints, bar buddies, staying put and getting away.
The album was recorded live with Dave on piano and vocal, Michael Libramento on bass, and Joe Buzzelli on drums. After the live session, Stephanie Morgan (of stephaniesid) and Dave added backing vocals. Dave self-produced the album with creative consultation from his friend and teacher Chuck Lichtenberger.
In fall 2007, Dave was one of eight finalists selected from across the United States in the North Carolina Songwriters Co-op 10th Annual Song Contest with two songs from the Could Have Talked All Night album, Never Meant To Stay and Amber River.