the new CD
so dark you see

John Gorka: "It's a more intimate, vocal and guitar centered record than the last two."

Click here to buy an autographed CD
( $15,00 or €10,97)

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Click here if you want to hear John talking about the cover (KXT Dec.2009)... 1'41"
Click here if you want to hear John talking about the photo (MPR Nov.2009). 0'45"

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.....Back cover photo "so dark you see" (made by Jos van Vliet!)
.......Click on the photo to download the big version: 2,97 MB

John Gorka newsletter october, 14, 2009

Greetings Dear Reader and Listener,

It's already snowed here a couple of times with more on the way tonight, but I still believe we will have Autumn here in Minnesota. That's kind of an optimistic statement for me, maybe because it's early and the caffeine is still at its most effective stage. Anyway, the new cd, "so dark you see" is officially out there. I've been selling them at shows for the past couple of weekends but now it's available in stores and online. From what I'm told you can find them at Barnes & Noble and the finest nonvirtual record stores. Maybe there is one near you. Online, Amazon.com has the best price I've seen. Redhouserecords.com has them for a little more but they also have "Writing in the Margins" on sale for $5.00! That's less than they charge me for the ones I sell at shows! I'll see if they will let me in on that price.

I'm glad to be working with Red House on this one though as they are one of the best independent labels out there.

You might see a logo on the back of the cd for Blue Chalk Records. That is my modest little imprint. I'm hoping to be able to put out new recordings under that label in a downloadable or physical form. More than likely, things that wouldn't fit on the full length "records" I do with Red House. The whole world of record labels and record stores has changed so much since I got started... (I started to ramble here so I went back and took most of that out.) In any case, I hope it won't be 3 years until the next one.

You can order signed copies of "so dark you see" at my website johngorka.com.

PS -- The jukebox is working again on my site. It just doesn't come on automatically anymore. You have to click on it...

Here again is the cover of the cd. It's from a painting by the multitalented singer/songwriter/guitarist/painter Tom Pirozzoli. There are 15 tunes on the record. For the first time there are 2 instrumentals: One guitar instrumental in DADGAD tuning with Dirk Freymuth on electric guitar and Michael Manring on bass. The banjo piece is on fretless banjo and is just me.
The record in general is a more vocal and guitar centered project than the last couple of cds. So it is more like my live sound except with exceptional guests. Lucy Kaplansky returns to sing on 3 songs and for the first time Eliza Gilkyson backs me up, singing on 2 songs. Peter Ostroushko returns to play on 2 songs and Dean Magraw plays on 3. Joel Sayles, Marc Anderson, Enrique Toussaint and Jeff Victor also appear once again. I think of the record as a little folk festival with a variety of lyrical voices that span several styles and musical eras. There are 3 covers: "I Think of You" by Utah Phillips, "The Dutchman" by Michael Smith and "Trouble in Mind" by Richard M. Jones and 2 collaborations with other writers: Robert Burns and William Stafford. There are also a bunch of my own new songs. It is a record of the world I'm from but it is also looking at the new world ahead, in my humble opinion. I hope you will like it.

John Gorka

1) The first (dutch) review... altcountryforum site.. (October 22, 2009)
2) So Dark You See review "Citypages" site .......(November 11, 2009)
3) So Dark You See review "Acoustic Guitar"....... (November 13, 2009)
4) So Dark You See review "Oor".............................. (December 9, 2009)
5) So Dark You See review "Popmatters"............... (December 11, 2009)
6) So Dark You See review "alt country.nl" ............ (December 24, 2009)
7) So Dark You See review "Washington Post " .. (February 26, 2010)
8) So Dark You See review "Gazette online " ....... (March 20, 2010)
9) So Dark You See review "Enjoy the music.com" . (March, 2010)

"Claremont Near Ascutney" is featured as the cover of John Gorka's CD "so dark you see". The canvas painting was made by Tom Pirozzoli

Amazon review (september 15, 2009)

With So Dark You See, John solidifies himself among the folk music greats with a collection of songs that are multi-layered with rich meaning and emotion. Intelligently crafted lines weave themes of love and hope in troubled times together with sharp observations of the privileged few and troubles we must endure. So Dark You See captures a songwriter at the pinnacle of his craft. A Gorka classic!

John Gorka has always been one of the premier songwriters in folk music and with So Dark You See, he offers up yet another masterpiece. The record is powerful, vibrant, intelligent and tender. The 16 tracks dazzle with a freshness that appeals to a broad spectrum of fans yet holds to that classic Gorka sound making this one of his strongest recordings of his career.

With a provocative, soul-stirring, sophistication, John turns keen observations of the troubles and rough roads we travel during tough times into musical gems that shine with a hopefulness in a dark time. Songs like "Whole Wide World" and " Mr. Chambers" are pop-infused folk at their best with choruses that hook you in while "Where No Monument Stand," "Ignorance and Privilege," and " Diminishing Winds" are as contemplative as they are clever. Among John's prolific originals are his compelling reinterpretations of Utah Phillips' "I Think of You," "Trouble in Mind" by Richard Jones and Michael Smith's "The Dutchman."

As all great songwriters do, John pushes his own musical boundaries with his first recorded instrumentals "Fret One" and "Fret Not." These two songs have as much of an emotional impact as the others, but allow John to showcase his raw talent as a musician.

On So Dark You See, John Gorka delivers an ambitious and striking collection of songs with a thematic complexity that digs into the darkness of the human condition and drags it back out into the light. Like the lone skeleton of a tree on the cover that has weathered the storm, Gorka's words part the clouds to reassure the listener that once you can see through the darkness there is hope on the horizon.

The three covers on the new CD....

On the new CD "so dark you see" John Gorka will play three songs from other artists. Joshua, aka Boyhowdy made a nice blog about the covers you can read it here. John Gorka told about it in the John Gorka videosite interview (may 31, 2009). Here are the original versions of track 7, 12, 13 and:

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"The Dutchman" by Michael Smith .........>
CD: Michael Smith / Love Stories
Record Label: Flying Fish / Rounder (1991)