Kingston Chapter: Piedmont Blūz

The Piedmont Blūz Acoustic Duo, comprised of Valerie and Benedict Turner, are ambassadors of Country Blues music, the Piedmont style of fingerpicking, and roots percussion. Their mission is to help bring awareness to these unique aspects of African-American culture, and to the contributions of early blues artists, through performing and teaching. The husband-and-wife duo are much loved wherever they go. They feel that “there are stories to tell, people to remember, and things that must be said” so, in addition to tickling your ears with delightful music, they weave a bit of history into the presentation of each song.

Inducted into the NY Blues Hall of Fame in 2018, these tradition bearers have been featured in numerous festivals including the Newport Folk Festival, Chicago Blues Festival, Tel Aviv Blues Festival, Clearwater Revival, and Brooklyn Folk Festival to name a few. In addition to performing at a variety of domestic venues, Piedmont Blūz has traveled as far as Europe and the Middle East to share their music.

“The most wonderful thing about Piedmont Blūz is they share the history of the music as well as playing the songs. They’re able to do that in a way that doesn’t take away from the musical performance, but rather add an educational aspect that blues fans truly love.”  – JD Nash, Writer: American Blues Scene