Discogs
Canada
Sam Turton has been playing slide guitar and hammering out personal and political songs across Canada for over 30 years. Think Lyle Lovett singing Eric Clapton—with the guitar of Ry Cooder and the heart of John Lennon. In Halifax he led the roots rock band "Ya," and in Ontario his guitar playing was an essential part of the R&B band "Soul Obsession" and the blues band "Drivin' South."
In 1998, Sam began to perform as a solo artist in St. Catharines, singing his original songs accompanied by acoustic guitar. In 1999 he joined forces with young guitar virtuoso Christine Bougie and formed the "Turton Bougie Band," an ensemble driven by Sam's robust acoustic rhythm and Christine's tasteful improvisations.
In 2001, Sam and his partner Jane Lewis moved to the vibrant arts and music community of Guelph. During this time, Sam developed his Primal Integration practice, which is an amalgamation of Zen, Taoism, aboriginal awareness, natural living, and deep feeling therapy. It is a more humanistic parallel to the Primal Therapy that John Lennon experienced before recording the powerfully revealing "John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band" album. In many ways, Sam is continuing Lennon's legacy of creating personal, social, and political music from this very deep emotional source.
Sam is also an accomplished artist and writer. His illustrations and designs have appeared in many publications, and his extensive writings on primal integration can be viewed on his primalworks website.
In 2003, Sam produced the CD "feel," his first recording as a solo artist. This release highlights his eclectic "folk soul" style—a spicy gumbo of blues, roots, and R&B. "feel" is a compelling collection of 12 original songs that range from hard-driving to heartbreaking.
Sam is dedicated to creating positive change with his music. In 2004, Sam's efforts included a campaign against Bush with the single "Patriot," and US performances that included shows at the Knitting Factory in New York City to oppose the Republican Convention. In July 2005, Sam released a benefit CD to raise funds for Guelph's 10-year battle against Wal-Mart that the Village Voice cites as an inspiration for New York City's efforts to keep out the world's biggest corporation. Sam wrote and performed on the title track, "Not There," and also produced the 14-artist concept album that received national acclaim from Vancouver's "Straight" and Toronto's "Now" to Canada's CBC radio and Globe and Mail.
Sam has opened for Big Sugar and Juno Award winner Ron Sexsmith, shared the stage with 60s proto-rap icons The Last Poets in NYC, and performed with Juno winner Stephen Fearing, harmonica virtuoso Carlos Del Junco, and award-winning horn player Nick "The Brownman" Ali. At present Sam performs in various ensemble arrangements from solo acoustic guitar to 6-piece band. Performances are best known for the powerful lyrics, soulful voice, ringing slide guitar, and gospel-style harmonies.
Sam Turton's Official Website:
http://www.samturton.com