The Clarence Turner Blues Band will bring their high energy electric blues to the Mainstay in Rock Hall, MD on Saturday August 4 at 8:00 p.m. Admission is $15. For information and reservations call 410-639-9133. Information is also available at the Mainstay’s website http://www.mainstayrockhall.org.
Clarence Turner and his band are favorites with dancers and listeners alike in the Washington area. The band has developed a cult-like following as crowds pursue them from club to club, eager for their dose of nitty gritty, down home, Chicago style blues. This is their third appearance at the Mainstay.
As a boy, Clarence Turner was captivated by the infectious, rhythmic, soulful, blues he heard listening to his father’s collection of LP’s, which included legends like Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. Every wailing stroke of the guitar spoke to Turner; and at the age of eight he began a lifelong love affair with the blues.
Throughout his teenage years he played blues guitar, for audiences all over the Washington DC area. During hard times in his early 20s Turner disappeared from the music scene.
When he returned to the blues, it was with a new understanding of hardship, love (both painful and joyous) and the sheer love of life that could be expressed with a blues guitar. Over the years, Turner developed signature guitar strokes by using various implements in addition to the usual “pick.” His hot guitar picking included using cell phones, microphones, harmonicas and everything else in between. As he puts it, “Why use a pick when there are so many other interesting things to use?”
The next step was to put together a blues band capable of playing the solid rhythms with the explosive power of the blues as he heard it. As the spirit and soul of the band, Turner sets a clear vision – Play! And play he does, often stepping out into the crowd, playing his guitar with fiery abandon, dazzling listeners with his scorching fret work, passionate vocals and showmanship – jumping, dancing and playing the guitar in behind his head — all of which have earned him the nickname “The Blues Man.”
In 2003, he was named to the “Who’s Who in DC Blues” list by the Washingtonian magazine. In 2006, he won the DC International Blues Challenge Battle of the Bands and went on to become a top 10 finalist in the 2007 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, beating over 150 other bands in the competition. His first CD was recorded “Live at Blues Alley.”
The Mainstay (Home of Musical Magic) is the friendly informal storefront performing arts center on Rock Hall’s old time Main Street. It is a 501(c)(3), non profit dedicated to the arts, serving Rock Hall, MD and the surrounding region. It is committed to presenting local, regional and national level talent, at a reasonable price, in an almost perfect acoustic setting. Wine, beer, sodas and snacks are available at the bar.
The Mainstay is supported by ticket sales, fundraising including donations from friends and audience members and an operating grant from the Maryland State Arts Council.
For information and reservations call the Mainstay at 410-639-9133. More information is also available at the Mainstay’s website http://www.mainstayrockhall.org.
Upcoming Mainstay performances include:
August 18 Cliff Jewell with “Sam Clemens and the Real Mark Twain”
August 25 Mike Aiken
September 8 New & Used Bluegrass
September 20 Rogerio Souza Trio