Raised in the Swannanoa valley of Western North Carolina, multi-instrumentalist Reed Turchi is a producer, label head, band leader and solo artist. He’s also a master of guitar-driven blues that shapeshift seamlessly between acoustic slide, electric juke joint boogie, and the improvisational, groove-driven, massive sound of his Nashville-based Kudzu Orkestra.
Featured in Rolling Stone, American Songwriter, and Fretboard Journal, Turchi has been called “an old soul” by Glide Magazine. “We feel like we are sitting right there in some lonely cabin deep amongst the pines and the kudzu sipping whiskey and listening to him play his heart out.” At the same time, Oxford American has recognized he’s “pushing the boundaries” of the Hill Country blues that inspired him to turn to slide guitar, and American Standard Time has called his work “The sound of a new American music.”
These days Turchi has been been touring with his Kudzu Duo, which he heads up with fellow Nashville musician Lemuel Hayes. Today Glide is sharing an exclusive premiere of the Duo’s video for their song “Sawzall”. Recorded live and layered with psychedelic colors, the song showcases Turchi’s dedication to maintaining a groove as well as his passion for Hill Country blues. Raw and stripped down with just Turchi’s guitar and Hayes’ steady drum beat, the song brings to mind legends like RL Burnside and Mississippi Fred McDowell alongside contemporary torch-bearers of the style such as the North Mississippi Allstars and Cedric Burnside and Lightnin’ Malcolm.
Turchi shares his story behind the song:
“I was on a jumper plane from Memphis to Charlotte, and the guy sat down next to me, had three beers before we even taxied onto the runway, and said ‘hell I’m the highest paid brain surgeon in Eastern North Carolina, but man I don’t have my keys, my wallet, my cellphone, I don’t even know how they let my ass on the plane. I’ve been going through kinda a rough divorce and was out, a sawzall and an eight-ball, baby that’s all I need.’ And then he passed out face first on the food-tray. Scout’s honor this is a true story, and I had the song finished before we landed.”
WATCH:
