Listen to Turtle Island on All Things Considered August 28, 2010 NPR's All Things Considered (Weekend) The Turtle Island Quartet has earned rave reviews for their jazzy take on traditional chamber music and their classical take on traditional jazz. Now, they're taking on another style altogether: the music of Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix changed the way the guitar was played and inspired legions of aspiring rock stars to crank up their amps and make that feedback sing. David Balakrishnan, then a ... Read More

Listen - David's On The Road piece - Fall 10 ... Read More

Guitar Omnivore Guitar tech how-to hints,repair stories,Cd reviews and more,from the bench of Arizona guitar repair guru Phil Clark. Tuesday, August 24, 2010 This weeks best guitar Cds-week of 08/24/2010 6) Turtle Island Quartet-Have you ever been...? A string quartet taking on Jimi Hendrix is no new idea (see Kronos Quartet or Turtle Island's "Gypsy Eyes" on their 1994 "Who Do We Think We Are? album) but don't be fooled. This is far more than a jaw dropper of a background Cd to play ... Read More

More Events at Grand Performances at California Plaza Aug 28 Turtle Island Quartet Top Pick Price: Free Where: Grand Performances at California Plaza 90071 Neighborhood: Downtown 213-687-2159 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              213-687-2159      end_of_the_skype_highlighting Description: The long-running string quartet led by original member David Balakrishnan on violin performs from its latest album, "Have You Ever Been?" which gives the songs Jimi Hendrix a jazz and ... Read More

Tuned In: Jimi Hendrix, Turtle Island Quartet collide in a cloud of creativity By Sue Gilmore Contra Costa Times 8/20/2010 The Bay Area-based Turtle Island Quartet's members are undisputed masters of the classical mashup, and they have two Grammys to prove it -- the latest being the 2008 best classical crossover award for their John Coltrane-themed album, "A Love Supreme." Some might say they've set themselves a higher challenge yet with their new release on the Telarc label, which turns from ... Read More

When you think of songs like "Purple Haze," "Hey Joe," and "All Along The Watch Tower," what comes to my sound mind is Jimi Hendrix. I loved how he often favored raw overdriven amplifiers with high gain and treble and whaled on that undesirable technique of guitar amplifier feedback. Hendrix was one of the musicians who popularized the wah-wah pedal in mainstream rock which he often used to squeel an exaggerated pitch in his solos, particularly with high bends and use of legato. Today in ... Read More

TARPON SPRINGS - The Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center presents 2008 Grammy Award winning Turtle Island String Quartet on June 26. The group celebrates the music of jazz legend John Coltrane at 8 p.m. and will conduct a music workshop on the Performing Arts Center stage at 2 p.m. for all interested musicians and music lovers. Since its inception in 1985, the Turtle Island String Quartet has been a singular force in the creation of bold, new trends in chamber music for strings. Winner of ... Read More

Turtle Island String Quartet emphasizes the classical in its mixes By R.J. DELUKE First published: Thursday, April 8, 2010 The idea of the string quartet performing traditional classical and chamber music has to be pushed aside when one considers the Turtle Island String Quartet. Pushed way aside. The group was created some 25 years ago with the idea of blurring the lines between musical genres; using traditional classical approaches as a base, but adding jazz improvisation and elements of ... Read More

March 20, 2010 Concert review: Turtle Island String Quartet doesn't disappoint in Jazz Fest return By Susan L. Peña Reading Eagle Reading, PA - The Turtle Island String Quartet returned to the Berks Jazz Fest, having performed here several times; this time they brought with them the eminent jazz pianist, Cyrus Chestnut—a collaboration made in heaven. Their performance Saturday night at Reading Area Community College’s Miller Center for the Arts bore all the hallmarks of a Turtle Island ... Read More

The Washington Post Luna Negra Dance Theater at Strathmore By Rebecca J. Ritzel Monday, March 22, 2010; C05 If the arts ever recover from this recession, pray that more dance companies make performing with live music a priority. Until then? Seek out and savor nights like Friday, when Luna Negra Dance Theater unveiled a commission from Strathmore. In a collaboration to remember, the Chicago troupe shared the stage with the Turtle Island Quartet and jazz clarinet legend Paquito ... Read More