A Soulful Slice of American Life
Could Have Talked All Night | Dave Turner Album Review
by Ken Hume in Ireland

Since I've started in the music journalism business, free C.D's sent to my home by anxious musicians eager for some objective opinion have become an increasingly regular event. And so far it's been a pretty enjoyable event with the majority of C.D's received so far making for some pleasurable listening. No more is this the case than with singer/songwriter Dave Turner's latest offering, the melancholic yet appealing "Could Have Talked All Night", released late last year in America. Armed with captivating melodies which contain a delightful combination of piano-rock, pop, Americana, blues and jazz; an expressive, booming voice & honest; heartfelt lyrics about everyday life, Turner has succeeded in creating a distinctive & highly enjoyable piece of music.

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Dave hails from Duluth, Minnesota where he was born in 1961 though he currently resides in Asheville, North Carolina with his wife and 3 children; a place where's he's lived most of his life. He started playing piano at age 7 and has written songs since grade school; being mainly influenced by Elton John. But the path to musical success is indeed a long and eventful one full of many obstacles, as his career path will tell you. He's worked as a dishwasher, delivery man, landscaper, shoe salesman, tape duplicator, carpenter, journalist, advertising copywriter, editor, author, pianist, singer-songwriter and soundman.

A varied resume, I'm sure you'll agree from which I'm sure he has derived much material for his songs. Songs such as the breezy; foot-tapping opener "Lumberton", full of determination & gorgeous backing harmonies by Stephanie Morgan; "Damn She's Aged", a beautifully touching & thoughtful tale about a friend of his; his death and the deteriorating affects on his wife; "Not as Old as Daddy was", a bluesy reflection on his determination to break free from the confines of his father's expectations of him and fulfil his own desires; "Never Meant to Stay"; a lyrically clever; melancholic & tender number looking back over a relationship (I suspect it's his wife) that went on much longer than he expected and his resolve to stay in it for the long haul.
The unusually titled yet witty "Belly at the Bar" reflects his thirst for social freedom away from his family in his "watering hole"; the mournfully affectionate "Tears on the Page" chronicles his 'California Dreamin' & unsent letters borne out of his desire for some fame that took him away from home; empty pockets and much thoughts in "$2" and the gospelly feeling "Painful Damned Hangovers", (well the title tells it's own story doesn't it?) and the draining excesses of a rock 'n' roll lifestyle. "Could Have Talked All Night" & his spiritual surrender to the wills & the direction of "Amber River" with some Kentucky Bourbon close off this carefully crafted composition of candid songs which give us a soulful slice of American life that I could listen to all night.

Written by Ken Hume | www.myspace.com/musicmoviesandmedia | 13/10/08

Visceral portraits of real life
Review, Could Have Talked All Night
Southeast Performer, March 2008

Asheville, N.C.'s Dave Turner serves up candid and visceral portraits of real life against a hearty background of piano driven songs. Utilizing the tapestry of American life is either done adroitly or ham-handed, but Turner is frank in his delivery without resorting to catchiness or cliche. He focuses on family, a workingman's life or the slippery slope that accompanies the inevitable fact of growing older. Turner paints his themes as simple Rockwellian images, love songs or tongue-in-cheek numbers as on the aptly titled Belly At The Bar. The piano driven ballads (Damn, She's Aged) and pop songs (Not As Old As Daddy) draw on melody as much as distinct slices of life. Tears on the Page is an elegant nod to San Francisco and beer joints are a staple of lyrical focus on many songs - a place where life happens when one wants to avoid it or haunts for touring musicians.

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Turner's vocal timbre is akin to Van Morrison in later years with the additional salt of Leon Russell. On Never Meant To Stay Turner glows on the song's chorus while back-up singers echo a la many a song by Joe Cocker.

Turner's Could Have Talked All Night was recorded live during a single session and inadvertently added additional vibrancy to the whole. It feels more real, more in the moment. What Turner brings to the album is something that only comes with time and experience. (Brian Tucker)

Well-crafted melodies, narrative depth
Review, Could Have Talked All Night
Mountain Xpress, December 26, 2007

Coming from the tradition of bar-bound piano players with a tip jar full of stories to tell, Dave Turner knows how to relate a memorable story over a simple yet well-crafted melody. With nice production values and great backing performers (including Stephanie Morgan), Turner’s tunes are given a near perfect studio treatment. At their best, his songs have the narrative depth of short stories (Lumberton and Billy Ray’s Chevrolet in particular), and while some tend towards the melancholy, the songs never overstay their welcome. (Steve Shanafelt)

Music is key for piano man Dave Turner
Interview, Asheville Citizen-Times
November 16, 2007 (take5 section, street edition, page 16F)
By Jill Ingram, take5 correspondent

ASHEVILLE — Pianist, vocalist and songwriter Dave Turner is a dedicated family man who just can't get enough of the late-night, beer-soaked bar life. Inspired by artists such as Elton John and Carole King, Turner also reveals the rougher edges of Tom Waits and James McMurtry in his lyrics, which often cast their writer in the role of no-account boozer.

At the same time, Turner, 46, who grew up in Asheville, is a focused individual who conducts his music career according to a five-year plan. Turner will celebrate the release of his latest CD, the 12-track "Could Have Talked All Night," with a Friday night show at The Garage at Biltmore, backed by members of Stephanie's Id, featuring Stephanie Morgan, who performed on the recording. The Chuck Lichtenberger Collective, Laura Blackley and Woody Wood will also play. Turner recently shared his thoughts on Asheville, regret and the perils of the musician's life.

Question: In 1998, you returned to Asheville after nearly 15 years in Atlanta. Why?

Answer: I was doing music there, but I was also working in the advertising business. My wife (Mary) and I realized that Asheville had become cosmopolitan enough to where there was nothing that we like to do in Atlanta that wasn't available in Asheville. And the music scene has always been vibrant here. I thought every community was like that, but it's not. I had a real positive experience growing up here, and my wife and I decided that our kids (Sam, 15; Grace, 12; and Ben, 5) would have a positive experience here, too. And I also wanted out of the advertising business.

Q: Was this your first time working with Collapseable Studios?

A: Yes. It took a long time to get to the stage where I was happy with all the tracks that we had selected. But after that whole process, the album itself, in terms of recording, came together really quickly. We added Stephanie's vocals at a different session, but the lead vocal, piano, drums and bass were all done in one day in a live session. It was a long day, but it turned out great. And the piano there is a wonderful instrument. It's an old Steinway from the '30s or '40s.

Q: You've done everything from wash dishes to sell shoes. Do you need to have different experiences to continue writing your music?

A: Yes. I've definitely found that if I am not having new experiences, then the lyrics are harder to come by. One of the things that made me more prolific in the recent years is that I did the program "The Artist's Way." Most mornings I sit down and write in my journal, and that's where most of my lyrics come from.

Q: Many of your songs are about alcohol and the bar scene. How much of that is still your lifestyle?

"Amber River" and "Painful Damn Hangovers" were both inspired by recent experiences. Getting back involved in the music scene has taken me into a realm of experience that many people at my stage of life aren't having anymore. I had somebody joking with me once — I played a set and there were a number of songs related to alcohol — "Dave, do we need to have an intervention?" My songs are very autobiographical, but they're fictionalized.

Q: Your album notes include a quote by Thomas Wolfe that "we are the sum of all the moments of our lives." Do you really embrace your mistakes?

A: One of my biggest regrets is that I spent a lot of my younger years, my 20s and 30s, spending my creative energy on helping people sell things, from pizza to financial services to chemicals.

There was one client, CryoLife, that sold heart valves. And looking back, I wish I had just focused on doing music in the beginning, but I felt it was too risky. Even though I had much less to risk then.

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