Not currently logged in. [Login or Create an Account]

blogdowntown team

Monk Turner

Monk Turner
monk@blogdowntown.com

Ever since relocating to Los Angeles, Monk has tried to keep the fact that he is actually from the Bay Area a secret. Proud to call himself an 'honorary Angeleno,' Monk resides on the border of Little Tokyo and the Arts District where he writes and records concept albums.

A musician since the tender age of 5, Monk studied advertising and business at The University of Texas at Austin until he was shipped off to L.A. for a summer to work in the biz. It only took a week for him to realize that L.A. wasn't nearly as bad as people in the Bay Area make it out to be. Once he discovered downtown, it was love at first site.

Since then, he has been proud to call the 9th District home and is working tirelessly to meet every musician and creative person residing within its towering buildings and walking its vibrant streets.

— Return to About page


Recent Stories by Monk Turner

Arts/Culture

Bassist Russell Walters

By Monk Turner — Tuesday
2 Comments

Bassist Russell Walters

|Photo Gallery| If Stevie Wonder had a 'brother from another mother' living in Downtown L.A., it would be Russell Walters. Even though Russell is a white guy from the backwoods of Michigan with 20/20 vision, soul music drips from his fingers when he gets on the bass. Stevie Wonder's influence runs deep within this four string warrior; he even has the tattoo to prove it. I met...


Arts/Culture

Producer Mark Byers

By Monk Turner — February 16, 2010

Producer Mark Byers

Frank Zappa has an album called "Does Humor Belong in Music?" I've often pondered this question as humorous music rarely makes it to mainstream radio. I can say that after hearing some of the comedy projects that Downtown resident Mark Byer has worked on, the answer is a resounding yes. The Berklee School of Music alumn made the Arts District his home about...


Arts/Culture

213's Dave Freeman

By Monk Turner — February 02, 2010
5 Comments

213's Dave Freeman

Dave Freeman is not only a career music promoter, he is also a career Downtowner. A little less than a year ago he decided he wanted to work in the neighborhood he lives in -- a bit of a stretch in a city where most of the population commutes to work. Furthermore, he wanted to do it through music. With a strong background in music licensing, he has married... |Photo Gallery|


Arts/Culture

Lurssen Mastering's Gavin Lurssen

By Monk Turner — January 19, 2010
2 Comments

Lurssen Mastering's Gavin Lurssen

Mastering engineers are a strange breed. They come in after a record has been finished and do some tricks to put on the final polish. They are the unsung heros of the recording industry. Most people, including myself, have no idea what they do. But listen to an unmastered record and right away you can tell something doesn't sound right.


Arts/Culture

Easter Island's Anton Sanko and Joel Thompson

By Monk Turner — January 05, 2010
1 Comment

Easter Island's Anton Sanko and Joel Thompson

|Photo Gallery| Nope. I'm not going to do it. Not going to make the comparison. Why? Because I can't stand it when people compare Downtown L.A. to New York City. Look, all I'll say is that when our Arts District east of Alameda can pull talented native Manhattanites out of their borough, we're doing pretty good. Such is the case with composer Anton Sanko, who relocated his...