Brandi Carlile, Ryan Adams, Stevie Wonder, Cat Stevens, Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Jackson Browne, Emmylou Harris, Journey, Police, Sam Bush and the New Grass Revival, Ricky Scaggs, Mike Marshall, Darol Anger, Stanley Brothers, Flatt and Scruggs, Tony Furtado, David Grisman, Bill Monroe, James Taylor, Carole King, Elton John, Don McLean
Sounds Like
Eclectic mix of modern folk; soothing yet spirited vocals with acoustic guitar
Dori Turner has been composing songs for several years now, but has only recently started to release collections of her work. The songs that Dori writes paint pictures. These images can be beautiful and sometimes tragic. After eight years of not playing music, she was inspired to write again after a dramatic series of events in her life. She was so modest about her work that she required a lot of convincing to record.
The sound that has always appealed to Dori is the intimate feel of acoustic music where the performer records with just his voice and a guitar, making a solitary statement to the world. She recorded her first album, “Songbook” this way, sitting in front of two microphones in a kitchen with good acoustics. The songs were run through very quickly, with almost every one being a first take. Sometimes, she played what became the final take when she didn’t even know the tape was rolling. The album was released on Mr. Knees Records in late 2003 and distributed through Tower Records and CD Baby. This album does a good job of showcasing her unique talent for melody and imagery.
Dori spent the first half of 2004 playing clubs in support of her album. In early 2005, she received the awards for Runner-Up and Finalist in the VH1 Song of the Year contest for her songs “Savannah Smiles” and “Galileo Lied.” She was also given an Honorary Award in 2005 from the Great American Songwriter Contest for her song "Welcome Her Home." Her songs also received regular airplay on RelaxRadio, an internet radio station based out of Perth, Australia.
Dori spent a great deal of time writing and recording new material for her
second album, entitled “Songs for Dark Days.” As with her first album, she performed the songs live accompanied by her acoustic guitar. This time, however, she worked on layering the songs with mandolin, acoustic bass, percussion and grand piano. The songs are more complete productions, but maintain a sparse acoustic folk feeling. They were written to inspire people to rise above their seemingly insurmountable dilemmas and live to the fullest; to make their own luck instead of waiting around for it. The album was released in December of 2006.
Dori! I LOVE these songs! Savannah Smiles is awesome, and Indian Ink too. Your voice is gorgeous, and songwriting stellar. Haven't heard the rest yet, but looking forward to.
THANKS for the warm support during my show last weekend. See ya next time I'm in SF...
