Chris Turner

 

Born into a musical family in London, England, Chris Turner learned harmonica and recorder as a child.  He later attended Alleyn’s College of Gods Gift and as a teenager formed his first country blues band.  In his later teens he played in “The Screw”- an acid rock band that opened up for the Rolling Stones in the first huge rock festival in Hyde Park, London 1968.

     Chris has been playing professionally since 1967 working in a variety of idioms including Folk, Rock, Blues, Jazz, Country, Early and Avant-garde music.  While traveling extensively in Europe and Africa, he assimilated many different musical styles.  Early in the 1970's, Chris studied composition with Christopher Small and improvisation with John Stevens at London University.  In 1975, Chris was recognized for his virtuosity when he was awarded first place at the Hohner International Harmonica Championship.  Chris performed as soloist for the Rhode Island Philharmonic performing two fully orchestrated pieces by Paul Nelson, 1999.  These pieces were written specifically for him. Chris has toured with numerous professional bands and appears on many recordings.  He has worked extensively as a Composer, Music Director, and Arranger for various theatrical organizations including Rhode Island's prestigious Trinity Repertory Company, as well as for films, animations, radio and TV.  Besides a variety of harmonicas, Chris is also proficient on jaw harp, flutes and bagpipes.

     His touring bands include Bands include Intergalactic Swamp Rangers, Missouri Compromise, Aurea Ensemble, Ian Anderson's Blues Band, Champion Jack Dupree, The Screw, S.M.E., Portsmouth Sinfonia, Have Mercy, Nee Ningy, Aurea Ensemble, Bo Lozoff Band( Human Kindness Foundation), Mimi Farina, Big Boy Henry,  The Hubbards, The Players, The Whompers, Bobby Bradford, Eugene Chadbourne, 100th Monkey, and WuJi.  As well and folk and blues, at the present he is also performing and composing classical music.