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1. CHANCE
OF RAIN ..............................( ..Preview)
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2.
BROKEN PLACE
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0 3.
SATELLITES
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0 4.
WRITING IN THE MARGINS
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0 5.
SNOW DON'T FALL
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0 6.
BLUER STATE
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0 7.
ARMS LENGTH
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.8.
THE LOCKKEEPER.
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9.
I MISS EVERYONE
...
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010.
WHEN YOU SING
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011.
ROAD OF GOOD INTENTIONS....(..Preview)
012.
UNBLINDFOLD THE REFEREE
...(..Preview)
Click
here to listen to all sound samples
Tracks
3, 4, 7, 10, 11, & 12: written by John Gorka
Tracks 1, 2, 6 and 9: written by John
Gorka & Laurie Allman. Laurie
and
John also
wrote "Trouble and Care" (on Old Futures Gone)
together.
Track
5: written by Townes
VanZandt
Track 8: written by Stan
Rogers
John
Gorka (vocals, acoustic guitar);
Joel Sayles (vocals, bass guitar);
Kathleen Johnson, Lucy Kaplansky, Alice Peacock, Nanci Griffith
(vocals);
Dirk Freymuth (acoustic guitar, electric guitar);
Eric Heywood, Joe Savage (pedal steel guitar); Kenni Holmen
(saxophone);
Steve Strand (trumpet);
Michael B. Nelson (trombone);
Jeff Victor, Tommy Barbarella (keyboards);
Michael Manring (bass instrument);
JT Bates (drums);
Rob Genadek (percussion)
Producer: Rob Genadek
Engineer: Rob Genadek
RED
HOUSE RECORDS..
RHR194D
2006 ..
Listen
to John Gorka
.
John
talks about the recording time and technique ('no overdubbing
of vocals')
October
6, 2006 (WUMB-FM) .. 120 sec
"When
You Sing" is dedicated to blues and Gospel
singer Mavis Staples. They met at Appelfarm Festival
last year, and Gorka said to Ms. Staples "When you
sing, you make the world a better place," and after
thanking him, she said "That soundslike a song."
So Gorka was inspired write one. The small band
is joined by a horn section and backing vocalist
Kathleen Johnson, for one of the most upbeat tracks
on the CD, both musically and lyrically.
This
photo of Mavis Staples (made by Mark Silver)
was made live at Appelfarm Festival 2005
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John
Gorka returns with his most compelling and powerful collection
of new songs with guest appearances by Nanci Griffith, Lucy
Kaplansky and Alice Peacock. The songs brilliantly cover
a variety of themes regarding the human condition, but the
stunning centerpiece is the title track. Written from the
point of view of a soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan, it is
an amazinly moving song.
BILLBOARD
REVIEW
The
best singer/ songwriters are often the ones who deserve
wider recognition, and that includes John Gorka. His latest
effort, "Writing in the Margins," is a pleasure, a deftly
mixed bag of a dozen tunes, including a pair of finely wrought
covers: Townes Van Zandt's "Snow Don't Fall" and Stan Rogers'
"The Lockkeeper." The remaining 10 tracks offer choice moments
like "When You Sing," Gorka's very cool tribute to the wondrous
Mavis Staples, complete with horns. It's modern folk with
a touch of soul. The title track is a poignant soldier's
tale that's more personal than political, while "I Miss
Everyone" has a pronounced country lilt worthy of Asleep
at the Wheel and a nice backing vocal from Lucy Kaplansky.
This is one of Gorka's most impressive outings. —Philip
Van Vleck
 .
Read an interview with John Gorka
..........
from june 1, 2006
in The Toronto Star:..........
Just
me and my guitar ...
.......
A walk with Gorka
CD review 'Writing in the margins'
in FolkWax
December 20066
Writing
in the Margins
Reviewed
posted
by Mike in Reviews, Folk, Acoustic
Mon, Sep 04, 2006
John
Gorka - Writing in the Margins, Reviewed posted by Mike
in Reviews, Folk, Acoustic Mon, Sep 04, 2006 I was reminded
of John Gorka while watching a Judy Garland biography on
PBS last week; he wrote a character sketch of the actress
on his first album, detailing the movie studio mistreatment
that contributed to her tragic struggles. It was a fledgling
example of his ability to report the human condition with
keen insight and lucidity, of his uncanny ability to wring
deep meaning from the mundane.
A product of the Fast Folk movement of the 1980's, Gorka
has released ten albums since 1987, with nary a dud among
them. His ardent pen and warm, relaxed delivery make him
an envious blend of Jackson Browne and James Taylor; his
thoughtful craftsmanship and quotable songs remind me of
Townes Van Zandt. If I may say so, he writes songs to live
your life by.
Writing
in the Margins presents another batch of sincerity and wisdom:
in "Chance of Rain" he sings about risks and the costs of
not taking them; "Broken Place" suggests that hard times
bring more blessings than good times; and the title song
and "Road of Good Intentions" strike a decidedly anti-war
pose as Gorka warns "…there's more fiction out of Washington
than out of Hollwood."
For
the first time in his career, Gorka borrows material from
other writers. Worth the wait, Townes Van Zandt's "Snow
Don't Fall" and Stan Rogers' exquisite "Lock-Keeper" turn
out to be the best tracks on the CD. An entire album of
Gorka interpreting Townes Van Zandt should be a strong consideration
by Red House Records.
Writing in the Margins is one of the best of the year, but
not John Gorka's best; for that check out 1990's Land of
the Bottom Line. And for a decent survey of Gorka's music,
check out the recently released Pure John Gorka - a batch
of songs from his Windham Hill years (1990-96).
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