There’s a strong pull for Edmonton blues artists to visit New Orleans. Thousands of professional musicians and blues-jazz fans travel to N’Awlins every year to revel in the coastal city’s easy-going vibe.
But going from south to north, the traffic flow is fairly dry.
Then there’s guitarist-singer Troy Turner, a Baton Rouge musician, who toured and played with the likes of BB King, Etta James, Albert Collins, Steppenwolf, Cocoa Taylor, Living Colour and Edgar Winter.
Part of a dying breed of southern musicians that practiced the blues and gospel at churches as children, Turner relocated north four years ago and made his home Edmonton.
On Saturday, May 18, Turner is the featured guest as part of Mark Ammar’s Saturday Sessions at the Bourbon Room.
However, transplanting his roots to Canada doesn’t mean abdicating his first love. In fact, Turner just returned from gigging at the New Orleans Jazz Festival.
“After a while I got tired of the heat, but the music and food is awesome. Baton Rouge is my home and if you go up and down the highway, you can stop at any local convenience story and buy a four-course meal for $10,” said Turner with a touch of nostalgia.
A bona fide Louisiana bluesman, Turner was raised an hour’s drive from New Orleans. Dubbed a “child prodigy,” he was attracted to the blues and gospel at an early age.
Family connections certainly played a large part in his musical development. His great-uncle was the late Ike Turner, but it was his grandmother’s passion for church and gospel music that influenced his choices.
When his father died in an accident and his mother was institutionalized, Turner was raised by his grandparents. Seeing his talent, they encouraged him to play sax, tuba, trombone, baritone sax, drums and bass.
By the time he was 14, the headstrong teenager was sneaking out and playing nightclubs. At 16, he bought his first car, moved to New Orleans and hired older musicians to play for him. Turner quickly earned the nickname "Guitar Burner" for attacking the guitar so aggressively.
He played the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival seven years in a row, toured Western Europe and Russia and released a couple of albums that caught the attention of bigger labels.
Along with the perks of success came the perils.
“I felt like a target. All people wanted was money and I just wanted to get high. I started being Justin Bieber. I’m 25, wild and loose. I drove my car on the wrong side of the road and broke up marriages. I believed my crap didn’t stink and I had a chip on my shoulder. I had to hit rock bottom. It made me grow up and realize who I really was.”
Since Turner cleaned up his act and shelved his bad-boy days, he's discovered a newfound soul and honesty in the blues he sings.
With four albums credited to his name, the bluesman would like to release another disc through a major label. But the obstacles to label investment are nearly impossible to overcome. However, Turner has a backup plan.
It’s called Troy Turner’s Barbecue Kitchen, a Louisiana style restaurant with a stage big enough for musicians to play.
“I’m just waiting until I qualify for permanent residency. I’ve cooked for barbecues and I’ve catered parties. I do what it takes.”
Saturday Sessions run from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Bourbon Room is at 205 Carnegie Dr.
