BIOGRAPHIES
The award-winning Piedmont Blūz Acoustic Duo, featuring Valerie and Benedict Turner, serves as a premier ambassador of Country Blues, intricate Piedmont-style fingerpicking, and traditional roots percussion.
As recipients of the prestigious Jalopy Folk Award and inductees into the New York Blues Hall of Fame, they are more than performers - they are storytellers and cultural historians.
With a mission to celebrate the profound contributions of early African American artists, the duo brings the "hey-day" of the 1920s and 30s to life.
They weave rich, historical anecdotes into every performance, delivering world-class musicianship to both domestic and international stages.
Their dedication ensures these essential cultural narratives remain vibrant for modern audiences.
The Piedmont Blūz Acoustic Duo is also featured in the award-winning documentary, A Man Called Hurt: The Life and Music of Mississippi John Hurt.
Now part of the Music to Life Juried Artist roster, the Turners continue their global mission to honor African American musical heritage and the pioneers who shaped the blues.
A native New Yorker with ancestral roots in Virginia and Georgia, Valerie Turner is a premier ambassador of Piedmont-style fingerpicking.
Her technical mastery was forged under the mentorship of John Cephas and Woody Mann, resulting in a style that evokes the heritage of Mississippi John Hurt and Elizabeth Cotten.
As an inductee into the New York Blues Hall of Fame, Jalopy Folk Award recipient, Music to Life Juried Artist, and former Co-President of the Mississippi John Hurt Foundation, Valerie is recognized as a vital "tradition bearer."
Her instructional book, Piedmont Style Country Blues Guitar Basics, is housed in the Library of Congress, solidifying her status as a definitive authority on the genre.
An esteemed educator, she has shared her expertise at prestigious workshops such as Augusta Blues Week and Centrum’s Acoustic Blues Workshop.
Alongside her husband Benedict in the Piedmont Blūz Acoustic Duo, Valerie has presented to international audiences across Europe and the Middle East.
Ever-evolving as an artist, she is currently expanding her repertoire through the study of clawhammer banjo with multi-Grammy winner Cathy Fink.
(Photo - Sidney Danz)
Benedict Turner, a premier roots percussionist specializing in lap-style washboard, is the rhythmic foundation of the Piedmont Blūz Acoustic Duo.
Alongside his wife, Valerie, Benedict is a dedicated preservationist of Piedmont-style musical traditions.
His unique performance style is a cultural tapestry, blending the melodic steel drum influences of his native Trinidad and Tobago with the mentorship of legends Washboard Chaz and Newman Taylor Baker.
A New York Blues Hall of Fame inductee, Jalopy Folk Award recipient, Music to Life Juried Artist, and former Creative Director of the Mississippi John Hurt Foundation, Benedict enriches each arrangement with subtle textures using washboard, harmonica, and bones.
His commitment to authenticity is further reflected in his craftsmanship.
Having studied with Jim Lande, master bones maker for the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation, Benedict continues the tradition of hand-carving his own rhythm bones.
This mastery of form extends to his professional life as a Senior Art Director and the creator of Darlington Washboards.
Through this venture, he curates and sculpts vintage washboards into functional works of art, ensuring that the visual and rhythmic beauty of the blues remains vibrant for future generations.
(Photo - Sidney Danz)
From 2022 to 2024, Valerie and Benedict Turner applied their professional expertise to the Mississippi John Hurt Foundation, serving as Co-President and Creative Director, respectively.
During their tenure, they raised over $75,000, providing critical funding for the award-winning documentary, A Man Called Hurt: The Life and Music of Mississippi John Hurt, and spearheading recovery efforts after a 2024 fire destroyed the Mississippi John Hurt Museum.
The duo leveraged their backgrounds in business and design to modernize the non-profit’s infrastructure, which included developing a cohesive corporate identity and architecting a new digital presence.
They also collaborated with Carnegie Mellon University to design an interactive educational installation and helped orchestrate flagship events including the Mississippi John Hurt Online Concert Series, Memorial Walk, Homecoming Festival & History Symposium, and the Maryland Acoustic Blues Festival.
Additionally, Valerie authored Desecration of Historic African American Cemetery in Avalon, Mississippi for The African American Folklorist to advocate for the preservation of sacred heritage sites.
The Turners are honored to have made a lasting impact on the preservation of this essential African American musical legacy.
The award-winning Piedmont Blūz Acoustic Duo, featuring Valerie and Benedict Turner, serves as a premier ambassador of Country Blues, intricate Piedmont-style fingerpicking, and traditional roots percussion.
As recipients of the prestigious Jalopy Folk Award and inductees into the New York Blues Hall of Fame, they are more than performers - they are storytellers and cultural historians.
With a mission to celebrate the profound contributions of early African American artists, the duo brings the "hey-day" of the 1920s and 30s to life.
They weave rich, historical anecdotes into every performance, delivering world-class musicianship to both domestic and international stages.
Their dedication ensures these essential cultural narratives remain vibrant for modern audiences.
The Piedmont Blūz Acoustic Duo is also featured in the award-winning documentary, A Man Called Hurt: The Life and Music of Mississippi John Hurt.
Now part of the Music to Life Juried Artist roster, the Turners continue their global mission to honor African American musical heritage and the pioneers who shaped the blues.
A native New Yorker with ancestral roots in Virginia and Georgia, Valerie Turner is a premier ambassador of Piedmont-style fingerpicking.
Her technical mastery was forged under the mentorship of John Cephas and Woody Mann, resulting in a style that evokes the heritage of Mississippi John Hurt and Elizabeth Cotten.
As an inductee into the New York Blues Hall of Fame, Jalopy Folk Award recipient, Music to Life Juried Artist, and former Co-President of the Mississippi John Hurt Foundation, Valerie is recognized as a vital "tradition bearer."
Her instructional book, Piedmont Style Country Blues Guitar Basics, is housed in the Library of Congress, solidifying her status as a definitive authority on the genre.
An esteemed educator, she has shared her expertise at prestigious workshops such as Augusta Blues Week and Centrum’s Acoustic Blues Workshop.
Alongside her husband Benedict in the Piedmont Blūz Acoustic Duo, Valerie has presented to international audiences across Europe and the Middle East.
Ever-evolving as an artist, she is currently expanding her repertoire through the study of clawhammer banjo with multi-Grammy winner Cathy Fink.
(Photo - Sidney Danz)
Benedict Turner, a premier roots percussionist specializing in lap-style washboard, is the rhythmic foundation of the Piedmont Blūz Acoustic Duo.
Alongside his wife, Valerie, Benedict is a dedicated preservationist of Piedmont-style musical traditions.
His unique performance style is a cultural tapestry, blending the melodic steel drum influences of his native Trinidad and Tobago with the mentorship of legends Washboard Chaz and Newman Taylor Baker.
A New York Blues Hall of Fame inductee, Jalopy Folk Award recipient, Music to Life Juried Artist, and former Creative Director of the Mississippi John Hurt Foundation, Benedict enriches each arrangement with subtle textures using washboard, harmonica, and bones.
His commitment to authenticity is further reflected in his craftsmanship.
Having studied with Jim Lande, master bones maker for the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation, Benedict continues the tradition of hand-carving his own rhythm bones.
This mastery of form extends to his professional life as a Senior Art Director and the creator of Darlington Washboards.
Through this venture, he curates and sculpts vintage washboards into functional works of art, ensuring that the visual and rhythmic beauty of the blues remains vibrant for future generations.
(Photo - Sidney Danz)
From 2022 to 2024, Valerie and Benedict Turner applied their professional expertise to the Mississippi John Hurt Foundation, serving as Co-President and Creative Director, respectively.
During their tenure, they raised over $75,000, providing critical funding for the award-winning documentary, A Man Called Hurt: The Life and Music of Mississippi John Hurt, and spearheading recovery efforts after a 2024 fire destroyed the Mississippi John Hurt Museum.
The duo leveraged their backgrounds in business and design to modernize the non-profit’s infrastructure, which included developing a cohesive corporate identity and architecting a new digital presence.
They also collaborated with Carnegie Mellon University to design an interactive educational installation and helped orchestrate flagship events including the Mississippi John Hurt Online Concert Series, Memorial Walk, Homecoming Festival & History Symposium, and the Maryland Acoustic Blues Festival.
Additionally, Valerie authored Desecration of Historic African American Cemetery in Avalon, Mississippi for The African American Folklorist to advocate for the preservation of sacred heritage sites.
The Turners are honored to have made a lasting impact on the preservation of this essential African American musical legacy.