Artist description Art Turner is a unique fingerstyle guitarist full of powerful, evocative tunes with Celtic, Native American and Great Canadian Plains roots.

Music Style World/Acoustic Fingerstyle Guitar/Instrumental/Folk

Musical Influences Michael Hedges, Bruce Cockburn, Will Ackerman

Similar Artists Michael Hedges, Loreena McKennitt, Bruce Cockburn

Artist History A former motorcycle racer and professional photographer of international renown, Canadian guitarist Art Turner turned to music while recovering from a debilitating chronic illness that left him virtually bed-bound for years. When his friend Linda Manzer, luthier to guitar legends Pat Metheny and Bruce Cockburn, gave Art one of her prized handmade acoustic guitars, Art not only taught himself to play, he promptly produced and engineered his own record, securing the participation of some of the world's hottest players in the bargain. His debut CD, Story Water, won Art a #12 spot on U.S. New Age Radio, a top-selling run in Barnes & Noble USA's in-store play program, an endorsement deal with John Pearse Strings, and a place on CBC Radio Canada's Disc Drive host Jurgen Gothe's prestigious Hit List of Best Albums of '97. "Story Water was a very strong record," says Art, but it didn't do much to establish me as a solo artist in my own right. I was really overshadowed by the sheer brilliance of my sidemen and co-writers. I sort of provided them with landscape sketches, and they filled in most of the colour and detail. We created some gorgeous music there, but my own voice wasn't strong enough yet to really shine through the way it's starting to now." For his new CD, Red Havens Rising, Art had no trouble rounding up the same brilliant cast of players (Michael Manring, Eugene Friesen, and Loreena McKennitt fiddler Hugh Marsh), with the addition of acoustic guitar wizard and Red House Records recording artist Dean Magraw (John Gorka, Peter Ostroushko, Steve Tibbetts), and Celtic music star Steáfán Hannigan (Björk, Depeche Mode, Loreena McKennitt) on Uilleann pipes. But Red Havens Rising is a powerful solo effort indeed. "This one is much more acoustic guitar-driven, emotionally deeper, more melodically interesting and technically complex," says Art. "After my first record, I worked hard on my chops, trying to create tunes that could stand on their own as solo guitar pieces. At first I was concerned there might not be enough room for the other musicians, but those guys are just phenomenal. What makes them so great is not just spectacular playing, but also knowing when not to play. The end result is just beautiful.

Group Members While not strictly members of his band, Art is joined on Red Havens Rising by a host of world renowned recording artists and sidemen, including Michael Manring, Hugh Marsh (Loreena McKennitt, Armageddon soundtrack), Eugene Friesen (Grammy winner with the Paul Winter Consort), Steáfán Hannigan (Bjork, Depeche Mode), and Fergus Jemison Marsh (Bruce Cockburn).

Instruments Acoustic guitar, cello, fiddle, bodhran, fretless bass

Albums Story Water (RT 1027), Red Havens Rising (RT 1028)

Press Reviews "...a powerful collection of original guitar compositions... an extremely listenable album of musical soundscapes from an artist whose vision and talents have yet to fully awaken." Canadian Musician "...definitely not some wimpy new age soundscape... ...shows the beginnings of an interesting musical imagination at work." Dirty Linen "...lilting, poignant... a must-hear for those interested in intelligent, sensitive instrumentals full of soul and passion." Anil Prasad, Innerviews "...remarkable... (a) glorious set of instrumental tunes." John Kendle, The Winnipeg Sun

Location Winnipeg, Manitoba - Canada

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