Gillen & Turk
And the Amazing Hope Machine
by Richard Cuccaro
There are many elements that separate the music-makers from the wannabes and the hangers-on.
The will to persevere is prominent among them. In the face of hard choices, those of us who cling
to our creature comforts and our cozy homes scurry back to our warm, safe rooms.
The music-makers stand through the years of frost and the chill of insecurity. They breathe in cold air
and breathe out song.
One recent night, the skies, supplying a perfect metaphor, poured wet snow and sleet.
We made our way through slush-filled streets to Grand Central Station where Fred Gillen Jr. and Matt Turk --
recent additions to the roster of MTA's Music Under New York program -- launched another of their
musical attacks on fear and ignorance. Matt had seen an e-mail about the deadline for demo submissions.
He asked Fred if he wanted to try it. One more way to get their music and message to the masses.
Fred said OK. So did the MTA and here they were.
Their voices rose in harmony, up into the cold air of the hallway at Grand Central Station next to the
Graybar Building. There was a bit too much echo and the sound was a bit muddy. A Zamboni groaned
its way up and down the hallway cleaning the mud-tracked floors. Finally it left. Matt pulled out the mandolin
and began to play, backing up Fred's guitar strum. Although their voices were a bit muffled -- echoing off the
curved ceiling -- the mandolin cut through all the excess reverb and sounded like tiny silver bells.
Their version of Led Zeppelin's "Goin' to California" elicited some knowing nods from the commuters rushing
to make their trains. Through the all the hurriedness, there were smiles and approving glances -- musical memories
prodded, warm emotions stirred. Some stopped and listened, some bought CDs. For the last number, they put
down their instruments. Fred broke out the washboard and Matt grabbed a shaker. Fred set up a syncopated
rhythm, Reggae-like, but closer to a Creole shuffle, as Matt later explained. They sang a highly original,
very unique version of CSNY's "The Cost of Freedom:"
Find the cost of freedom, buried in the ground
Mother earth will swallow you, lay your body down
Fred and Matt at Grand Central Station
Their voices rose over the rasp of the washboard and the hiss of the shaker. The harmony was tight,
Everly-like. The song's message added a signifier to the cold night. Before we parted, plans were made
to converse with both, to learn their stories. Two folk-rock musicians had travelled almost parallel paths
to arrive at the same destination. Their rafter-raising shout-outs for peace and social justice combine influences
from Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. How they got there speaks to their foundations, their integrity
and their gritty determination as well as their talent.
Fred Gillen Jr.
Fred's journey has been the fulfillment of a destiny. At an early age, 5 perhaps -- this would've been around 1974 --
his mother took him out to the Hudson River, and they went on the sloop Clearwater. He recalls, "I saw an ancient
guy playing a banjo. It was Pete -- he seemed ancient, even then." It made an impact and a link had been forged.
His mother played country music albums a lot and his dad played jazz records. Today he thinks he took the
country/folk direction because his mother was around more. "Johnny Cash got in, more than the other," he says.
Then, when he was 8 or 9, passing through a bus station with his parents, he saw a man busking there, playing
Beatles songs. He can't remember exactly, but he says that "I might've thought or said aloud, "That's what I'm
going to do when I grow up.'" During his grade school years, he was at a party where a band was playing and Fred
"clued into what the role of the bass was." The bass played a big role in the records he had been listening to and it
strengthened his desire to be a bass player. When he was 15, he borrowed an electric bass and got his own a year later.
Referring to his still-evolving guitar skills, he says he was "sidetracked by the bass." However, he still feels an affinity
for it. It certainly hasn't hurt his contribution to the ever-changing configurations he winds up in today.
Of course, Fred wound up in a rock band in high school. His first gig was during his senior year in his high school
auditorium. The band played at other high schools in the area during the rest of the year. They did covers of Led Zepplin,
Beatles and Black Sabbath and by the time he graduated he was playing in bars with guys in their mid 20's.
At the age of 18 or 19, he got into a band that played their own material. He played multiple roles, alternately singing
lead, or playing bass or both. He also wrote lyrics or music for two different bands.
Although Fred's bread and butter was rock, the folk roots were always there. When he was still in high school,
he noticed the names of people like Lightnin' Hopkins and Willie Dixon listed as authors in the writing credits for
songs by the Stones and Zeppelin. The blues drew him in and he started listening and learning. "Somehow from
there it led me to Bob Dylan and then Woody Guthrie," he recalls. "Dylan is probably still the biggest influence
because there's so much more material."
Throughout his early adult years, Fred worked mostly part-time at number of jobs. He laughs now, recalling,
"I worked at a job until it got in the way of the music, then I either quit or got fired." When we talked about the
willingness to leave a job for music, he said that he knew a lot of people who had enormous talent but couldn't
take the lifestyle. They couldn't do without creature comforts and still be happy. "It's an interesting combination
of craziness that you need to sacrifice for a musical career," he says.
From 1992 to 1996, Fred was in a rock band called The Rain Deputies. They were highly regarded and getting
noticed in the New York area, but played gigs only on weekends and stayed mostly local to accomodate the members
who had jobs, homes and families. When the drummer asked an industry stalwart to be their manager, he said he
"loved the band and would love to manage them," but first he wanted them to get a van and go on the road for
6 months to see if they could really "do it." The band members with responsibilities couldn't/wouldn't make the
switch. It was then that Fred struck out on his own. Unlike the more staid band members, he was so miserable
doing anything else that he had to make music his life. One day in '96, Fred was so broke that he went down to
a local coffee place and asked if he could sing and pass the hat. He played and made enough money to get through
the week. It was an epiphany. He realized, "Hey! I can do this! He decided to concentrate on guitar and play as a solo act.
This was also when Woody Guthrie came into the picture, full force. "Woody really got me in '97 when I was just
coming out of the rock thing," Fred said. He was just starting over and wasn't sure could survive. It was a tough,
rocky place. He felt lonely and hopeless. One day he picked up Bound for Glory and read it. It was the first place
where he saw hope for himself, not necessarily as musician, but just as a human being. "How do I live in this world.
It's so freakin' crazy," he'd been thinking. "Somewhere in the book there is a spirit about people and their ability to
persevere," he states. "It caused me to really dive into Woody's songs in a different way than I had before. It was
really the book more than the music that hooked me."
The Woody Effect
Fred always had an interest in social justice and activism but didn't know he where to put it or
how to do it. After he began to play solo and travel, his experience broadened him and he wanted to write the way
Woody did. "The way that Woody did it was to tell a story [in song] about people who were down and out without
preaching. All that other stuff is locked somewhere in there in the story." He'd been on the road by then and one
time had spent 3 hours in a park talking to a homeless man, hearing his story. The drive to tell the stories of the
less fortunate kicked in.
One of the key factors in Fred's development is his involvement in the Tribes Hill musicians' collective that sprang
up around Hammond House in Valhalla, New York (spearheaded by Rick Rock -- see October 2004 in the archives
at acousticlive.com). Here, he met like-minded musicians and felt that he really belonged to a community. Musicians
supported one another and networked, which gave emotional support and helped in finding gigs. Fred became president
of the collective for two years and is now on its board of directors. The cross-pollination of players led to Fred's
association with Todd Giudice and Steve Kirkman. This would lead to the formation of the group known as The Hope Machine.
It began when Fred and Todd got calls from Frank Mattias at Radio WKZE. Nora Guthrie was looking for somebody to
play Woody's songs at a venerable old record store in Mount Kisco, NY. Todd came with Steve Kirkman who played guitar
and Dobro. The group had a jug band feel with Fred's washboard and Steve's homemade bass drum which used a big
plastic bottle and a foot pedal from a trap set. Later, at the annual Clearwater Festival, they were awarded a slot performing
Woody's songs. They decided to get gigs performing Woody Guthrie material. Woody's espression "People are hope machines"
gave the group its name. The Hope Machine has played stirring sets at Acoustic Live showcases at both the Northeast
Folk Alliance Conference and at Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.
At the Acoustic Live showcases at Falcon Ridge, at left, Hope Machine in its earliest incarnation: L-R Steve Kirkman, Fred, and Todd Giudice
At right, in 2006, Steve, guest Anthony DaCosta and Fred (Todd having left the group).
Fred has put together a recording studio, "Woody's House," and has produced a number of exciting CDs of late.
Among them are Anthony daCosta's Typical American Tragedy, Steve Chizmadia's It is What it Is and others by
James Durst and Work 'O the Weavers. This, in addition to his own CDs, The Hope Machine debut, March, and the
upcoming CD from Gillen & Turk, It Really Matters, which hits the streets this April.
Forces Collide
Fred met Matt Turk when each played at a Tribes Hill concert at Hammond House. Each of them had
been expanding their repertoire and were looking at diverse ways to play their music. Matt began dropping by Fred's gigs,
often after one of his own. Fred would ask Matt, "Do you have a cord? Well, plug in!" So Matt would frequently play
mandolin behind Fred. Matt would book a string of gigs in the far reaches of upper New York State and, because they fit
together so well, ask Fred to accompany him. When Fred was asked to play at a political rally or event, he'd ask Matt
because he knew Matt's musicianship and experience lent itself so well to the enterprise.
Then Matt's manager suggested to him that Fred would make a terrific addition to Matt's band as a bassist. When he asked,
Fred accepted. Eventually the arrangement morphed into "Gillen and Turk," with forays into Hope Machine gigs.
The author has seen Hope Machine on a number of occasions. The newest configuration with Matt aboard seems to
ramp up the intensity to a new level. They can positively shake a room with the force of a revival meeting. Hope Machine
has shown how the Guthrie legacy can evolve into a bigger sound that can add more Woody Guthrie fans to today's audiences.
Matt Turk
Matt's father enjoyed folk and rock and Matt found it infectious. Two cornerstones in the record collection, Harry Chapin
and Jethro Tull, were also Matt's first concert experiences at age 7 or 8. Harry, of course, played acoustic guitar and was
backed by piano and cello. Matt had heard all the music at home and was impressed with the clarity and the way the songs
came across. The Jethro Tull Songs of the Wood Tour concert was at Madison Square Garden. The light show that went
with the grandiose Baroque Tull repertoire made a deep impression. Anyone who remembers Ian Anderson's expressive
performance style can imagine the impact it would make an a seven-year old.
The family was very artistically creative. Between his mother, brother and cousins, at family parties, there was always someone
singing and playing piano and/or guitar. Within the family, over the years, Matt witnessed the creation a myriad of poems, songs,
paintings and sculptures. While his father did not join in the creativity, his father's obvious enjoyment spurred Matt's incentive
to become a performer.
Matt got a Fender Eldorado from his brother when he was in first or second grade. Among the songs he learned to play were
Harry Chapin's "All My life's a Circle," "I Heard it Through the Grapevine," and a Led Zeppelin love ballad, "Thank You."
He also got an Ovation Legend.
His high school experiences included forming an R & B band with horns called "The Sweat Band" which played at basketball
games. He was also in a number of four-man rock groups and was in the school jazz band which gave outdoor concerts.
He also performed roles in high school musicals. In retrospect, Matt appears to have been on the fast track toward a career
in music. When he got to college at New York University, he became part of a band "The Hour," which gained notoriety
for its eclectic brilliance.
The Hour enjoyed a run of appearances at the Wetlands Preserve in lower Manhattan's Tribeca, a home for jam bands and
Deadheads that hosted many major acts such as the Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Blues Traveler and Pearl Jam. Ken and
Michele Hoff were deadheads who frequented Wetlands and were fans of The Hour. They purchased The Arrowhead Dude
Ranch in Liberty, in the Catskill Mountain area of New York state and turned it into a musical venue. They created an
outdoor performance arena and brought in bands for the outdoor venue during the summer season. For the two-plus years
of The Arrowhead's existence, The Hour was the lounge band at the ranch, but also was involved in the outdoor productions.
In the second year, Ken contacted Bill Graham who became a backer and elevated the ranch to a new level for the third season.
It became known as "The Fillmore of the Catskills." After Bill Graham was killed in a helicopter crash that fall, the operation
folded. Another result of Matt's stay at The Arrowhead was that he picked up the mandolin. A member of another band that
played there noticed Matt's playing and intuited that he'd be good at mandolin. Matt went with that and began playing. Today
he continues to advance his skills and gets lessons from Barry Mitterhoff of Hot Tuna. It helps with both playing and recording
the mandolin, Matt says.
During this period, Matt received mentoring from legendary record producer Phil Ramone, while working as a sideman during
recording sessions. Over the course of one afternoon, he learned about aspects of Phil's work with artists like Paul Simon, Peter,
Paul and Mary and many more. Phil expressed an interest in The Hour and worked with them on a couple of sessions. They
also discussed songwriting, arrangement, production,
Back to the Roots
The Hour made three highly regarded independent CDs, but couldn't get signed to a major label. They broke
up when one member, Carey Harmon, now of Railroad Earth, went to Ghana to live with the legendary clan of drummers, the
Dagoumba People, to study the Gungon and Matt had decided he wanted to "dig into" his musicianship and his "folk craft."
He took lessons from Jack Baker at The Fretted Instruments School of Folk Music in Greenwich Village. During this time, Matt
was writing a little, but the bulk of his time was spent learning the older stuff, Country blues and such, at the School. Jack allowed
Matt to pore over the many records and make tapes. Even when he wasn't taking a lesson, he could visit and tape material for himself.
Times with Pete
Another set of formative experiences was joining Pete Seeger's Street Singers. Matt hung out with Pete for around
two years. He learned to sing with Pete and how to get audiences singing along. Some of the highlights he remembers are:
accompanying him to a folk conference in Philadelphia; helping him to paint signs in Spanish at Pete's house to help people learn
a song at a Summerstage concert; playing a concert "Ships to Save the Waters," at Washington Irving High School along with Pete,
David Amram, Oscar Brand and Paul Winter; and playing another concert at St Mark's Church with Pete's grandson
Tao Rodriguez-Seeger. The peak for Matt was, in Pete's absence, he and another singer led a Street-singers event on a
"Handicapped March" leading a few hundred persons in wheelchairs and on crutches that went from Grand Central Station to
Madison Square Park. "It blew me away," he says.
Matt has had a close relationship with the Clearwater Hudson River Revival Festival that began during the 90's. He crewed on
the sloop Clearwater for a week and at one point early on, Pete gave him a slot at the festival to sing a couple of his own songs
during Pete's own set on the solar stage. Matt has coordinated and hosted the Festival's "Circle of Song" Stage for a number of
years running at this point. At the 2007 festival, he sang with Pete on the Hudson stage.
Two recent accomplishments of note: Matt's song "The Fog of War" which features Pete on banjo and is produced by
Rob Morsberger can be seen on a video, with Pete, Fred, Rob and Steve which just launched on youtube. Just type in Matt Turk
"Fog of War" to view this remarkable video. It's not part of any record. They did it just to do it and put the message out.
Also, Matt recently performed "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" for the Warner Brothers film Fred Claus, and his performance
is on the soundtrack.
Matt and Fred at the Acoustic Live showase at the Northeast Folk Alliance. Intense? You might say that.
Matt's experience with Pete Seeger and the Clearwater has meshed extremely well with Fred's connection with Woody Guthrie
and the Tribes Hill Collective. Matt states: "Working with Fred is really fresh. It's a great collaboration. The energy that we had
when we started continues. I just feel so good about the music that we're making, whether it's what we're recording or playing live.
There are other people that Fred's brought into my life, that I'd met through the scene, but that he's been closer to, like Steve [Kirkman]
and Abbie [Gardner, of Red Molly] that have been really positive for me, good energy, water for the soul."
We were fortunate to preview Fred and Matt's new CD, It Really Matters. It swings from acoustic folk to blistering rock and spans
subject matter from love songs to Bruce Cockburn-like rants.
One track in particular "Killing Machine," demonstrates empathy for soldiers returning home from the violence of combat
I'm scared and no reprieve for a newly unemployed killing machine
Nobody wants to hear my story
Now the war is over and they want to forge
How can I forget the people I killed and the friends I lost?
If you're looking for virtuoso musical commentary on the challenges posed by the abuses of the corporate aristocracy,
there are many on this CD, but I'd say this one in particular nails it.
Through all of the changes, both Fred and Matt have come through the fire (and ice) tempered and forged into
soldiers for peace, fighters in the battle for a fair shake for the common man.
And they sing and play damn good, too. See them. Soon.
Web sites:
www.fredgillenjr.com
www.turktunes.com
www.gillenandturk.com
Gigs
Mar 1 7:30pm Antoinettes 417 Warburton Ave., Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
2 4pm Coffeehouse For Peace Kol Ami 252 Soundview Avenue, White Plains, NY
4 4pm Music Under New York 125th St. & 8th Ave. Station
8 8pm BJ 257 West 88th St., NYC BJ Annual Concert. $15/10 students,seniors
13 9pm Positively 4th St 87 4th St, Troy, NY
14 8pm Tramontane Cafe 1105 Lincoln Avenue, Utica, NY
15 7pm The Toad 1912 Massachusetts Ave. , Cambridge, MA
16 8pm The Burren 247 Elm Street, Davis Square Hosted by Danielle Miraglia
20 12:10am The Living Room, 154 Ludlow St, NYC
27 9pm Sidewalk Cafe 94 Avenue A, NYC
Apr 1 9:30pm Sarah Street Grill 550 Quaker Alley, Stroudsburg, PA
20 10:30am Farmers Market Westchester County Center White Plains, NY
with Steve Kirkman and Hope Machine
24 12:30pm Rockland Community College Suffern, NY Lunch and Listen Series
25 7:30pm Peekskill Coffeehouse 101 South Division St., Peekskill, NY