Photo: Ann Marsden March |
Photo: Ann Marsden March |
John Gorka playing at Sharon Hoydich's high school graduation pool party in June 1976. |
John
Gorka is an acoustic based singer songwriter and self described "aspiring
folksinger." His songs look at the world with a realistic hope, acknowledging
the sorrows and celebrating the joys of a modern life. "the quintessential
urban folksinger"
........ ..............................Boston Globe |
John Warde on pedal steel and John Gorka on guitar at Dave Fry's house (you can see his feet!) |
June
7, 2019 John was talking about his first guitar (he got it when he was
8 or 9 years old) and what happens when you pull out a banjo! This video was made for McCabe's Guitar Shop instagram. |
|
Godfrey Daniels is one of the oldest and most venerable music institutions in eastern Pennsylvania. A small neighborhood coffeehouse and listening room, it has long been a hangout for music lovers and aspiring musicians, and in the late 1970s, one of these was a young Moravian College student named John Gorka. The
Razzy Dazzy Spasm Band was
formed in 1976 at Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The band
consisted initially of John Gorka, Russ Rentler, and Doug Anderson. Later,
Richard Shindell joined the group on lead guitar. Tim Germer was also
part of the group, playing bass guitar. As Gorka would later describe
it, "It was kind of a bluegrass band, but not a real formal, traditional
one." Although the band never recorded an album or even went on a tour,
three members (Gorka, Shindell, and Rentler) went on to have significant
careers in folk music. Doug Anderson, is now a philosophy professor at
Southern Illinois University and continues to play music locally and Tim
Germer is a software engineer in Northern Virginia. Click here to read much more about The Razzy Dazzy Spasm Band.
Though John Gorka's academic course work lay in Philosophy and History, music began to offer paramount enticements. Soon John found himself living in the club's basement and acting as resident M.C. and soundman, encountering legendary folk troubadors like Canadian singer/songwriter Stan Rogers, Eric Andersen, Tom Paxton and Claudia Schmidt. Their brand of folk-inspired acoustic music inspired him, and before long he was performing his own songs --mostly as an opener for visiting acts.
Soon
he started traveling to New York City, where Jack
Hardy's legendary Fast
Folk circle (a breeding ground for many a major singer/songwriter)
became a powerful source of education and encouragement. Folk meccas like
Texas' Kerrville Folk Festival (where he won the New Folk Award in 1984)
and Boston followed, and his stunningly soulful baritone voice and emerging
songwriting began turning heads. Those who had at one time inspired him
-- Suzanne
Vega, Bill
Morrissey, Nanci
Griffith, Christine
Lavin, Shawn
Colvin -- had become his peers.In
1987, the young Minnesota-based Red
House Records caught
wind of John's talents and released his first album , I
Know , to popular and critical
acclaim. With unusual drive and focus, John hit the ground running and,
when an offer came from Windhan
Hill's Will Ackerman in 1989,
he signed with that label's inprint, High Street Records. He proceeded
to record five albums with High Street over the next 7 years:
Land of the
Bottom Line
|
John
Gorka live at Anderson Fair, Houston, TX (September 29, 1984) This was the
first set. - Elevator Soul - The Showdown - Geza's Wailing Ways - Buckle Up Baby - The Magic Meter - Heaven on Earth - Down in the Milltown - Winter Cows - The Work of the Sun. |
. | From 1989 John Gorka live at the Acoustic Cafe with host Brad Paul recorded in the Linden Tree coffeehouse in Wakefield (MA) |
.
|
...John Gorka with The Story (Jonatha Brooke and Jennifer Kimball) Philly Folk Fest 90-92 |
.. |
Jack's
Crows, Temporary
Road, Out
of the Valley, and Between
Five
and Seven.
His albums and his touring (over 150 nights a year at times) brought new
accolades for his craft. Rolling Stone called him "the preeminent male
singer/songwriter of the new folk movement." His rich multi-faceted songs
full of depth, beauty and emotion gained increasing attention from critics
and audiences across the country, as well
as
in Europe where his tours led him through Italy, Belgium, Scotland, Ireland,
Holland, Switzerland and Germany. Other performers also discovered his
songwriting. His material is championed by many -- to date more than a
score of artists
have recorded and/or performed John Gorka songs, including
Mary Chapin Carpenter, Mary Black and Maura O'Connell. He also started
sharing tours with many notable friends -- Nanci Griffith and Mary Chapin
Carpenter among them. All this has brought his music to an ever-widening
audience. His video for the single "When She Kisses Me" found a long-term
rotation on VH-1's "Current Country," as well as on CMT and the Nashville
Network. John also graced the stage of Austin City Limits, appeared on
CNN, and has been the subject of other
|
|
|
national
programming. Finally in 1998, after five successful recordings, and seven
years at Windham Hill/High Street, John felt the need for a change and
decided to return to his musical roots at Red House Records. The choice
was driven, in part, by the artistic integrity that the label represents
in an industry where the business of music too often takes precedence.
As John says, "Red House is in it first for the music, and so am I. It's
a good place to be." After Yesterday represents the first fruits of that
reunion and reflects John's continuing commitment to the craft of songwriting.
Longtime fans will find in its twelve songs John's trademark twist of
lyric and attention to the details that so effectively evoke a time, a
place, a person, or a range of emotion. But there are also the stirrings
of new musical directions with the evocative addition of percussion from
Ani DiFranco's drummer Andy
Stochansky. |
e
John with his wife (and girlfriend!) Laurie...........................John with his son Joeo
|
|
Godfrey Daniels, John Gorka is still honored to be a part of the folk tradition -- energetic acoustic music that is not a trend, not a fad, but an expression of everyday life. After Yesterday is the embodiment of that expression -- another classic release where his rich baritone voice and unique songcraft weave together in a way that can only be described as "Gorka." His
2001 release "The
Company You Keep"
held fast to John's tradition of fine songwriting, yet moved forward down
new avenues. Its fourteen songs displayed John's creative use of lyrics
and attention to detail. Andy Stochansky played drums and shared production
credits with Gorka and Rob Genadek. Ani DiFranco, Mary Chapin Carpenter,
Lucy Kaplansky and Patty Larkin contributed stellar guitar work and vocals
to this fan favorite.
Laurie
is a St. Croix Valley-based environmental writer, essayist, and poet.
She received a Minnesota Book Award for her creative nonfiction book,
Far From Tame: Reflections from the Heart of a Continent, a collection
of essays based on ecoregions of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. Her
essays have been featured in public radio commentaries on MPR and KFAI,
and published in numerous anthologies. She has been a course instructor
for The Loft Literary Center, and is a founding coeditor of Agate magazine.
Her poems have found expression in spoken-word performances and in publications
such as The Floating Fish Review and photographer Craig Blacklock's book,
St. Croix and Namekagon Rivers.
Windham Hill has also released in 2006 a collection of John’s greatest hits from the label called Pure John Gorka. John
Gorka his first DVD
" The Gypsy Life" was released on september 16, 2007 on
AIX
Records (a high definition,
surround audio/video music label). Joined by Susan Werner, Amilia K. Spicer,
Russ Rentler and longtime collaborator Michael Manring, John performs
19 of his best songs including: I Saw A Stranger With Your Hair, I'm From
New Jersy, Let Them In and Mercy of the Wheels. Shot in HD Video and combined
with two different 5.1 surround music mixes, this is the ultimate presentation
of acoustic vocal music. Red
Horse Red Horse is the result of three veteran songwriters and good friends coming together to make music. With Red Horse Eliza Gilkyson, John Gorka, and Lucy Kaplansky give us a collection of songs that solidifies their place as three of folk music's great songwriters Click here to read much more about Red Horse on the special website
Bright Side of Down (12th solo CD, March 4, 2014) Bright Side of Down arrives during the twenty-fifth anniversary of John Gorka's first record. But this is not your father's Gorka album. Largely absent is the affectionate satire of "I'm from New Jersey," the political commentary of "Land of the Bottom Line," and the up-tempo passion of "Mean Streak." With arrangements built around acoustic guitar, and vocals recorded with a different pre-amp and mike, Gorka takes a softer, gentler approach as he ruminates on the passage of time and the passing of friends. The opener, "Holed Up in Mason City," introduces the themes of time and winter that run throughout. A fierce storm has stranded the singer, stopping time ("The future isn't ready tonight.") in Mason City, where time stopped in another snowstorm, when a plane crashed, leaving Buddy Holly eternally twenty-two. In anybody else's hands, the song could have been heavy-handed, but Gorka lightens it with an accordion sound, a two-stepping rhythm, and an evening at the fictional Big Bopper Diner. The title track follows, with a tinkling six string and vocal help from Eliza Gilkyson and Lucy Kaplansky, as the singer reflects on easing "the way down the uphill climb." "More Than One" provides the record's most driving tune, powered by light but insistent drumming that reminded me of the way some cars sound. It's a folksong Gypsy's prayer for a clear sky, a dry road, a full tank, and a light load. "She's That Kind of Mystery," a rare cover, is a reverential and lovely take on a lovely tune. Listen to the way Bill Morrisey's original guitar figure appears here. "Honeybee," a kids' song--another Gorka rarity--has a terrific progression and the album's most hummable melody. The most revelatory guest appearance comes on "Procrastination Blues" with Claudia Schmidt's powerful outro vocalese. "Mind to Think" has Gorka on banjo and the unmistakable sound of Michael Manring on bass. "Really Spring" brings the album to a thematic close. Dirk Freymuth's high strung guitar and an overlay of Antje Duvekot voices bring the beauty. |
The
"new old" recording: Released on Red House Records in 2016
|
CD
"Before Beginning" Back in 1987, a young John Gorka released his first album, I Know, on Red House Records. The album became a hit on folk-radio stations around the country, with songs like "Branching Out," "Love is Our Cross To Bear" and "I Saw a Stranger With Your Hair," helping launch a very successful career for Gorka. But what we didn't know was that this recording was actually not Gorka's first attempt to release these songs. Two years earlier, Gorka took his life savings down to Cowboy Jack Clements' studio in Nashville and recorded essentially the same collection of songs with a band of professionals and a top-notch producer named Jim Rooney. After the recording was finished, Gorka decided the finished product didn't really go the musical direction he wanted. Fast-forward to 2016: Gorka thought he'd give a listen to the 1985 sessions. He ended up bringing the tapes to Rob Genadek at The Brewhouse Recording Studio in Minneapolis, and with a few tweaks and re-mixes, and the help of Red House Records, Gorka decided to release the "new old" recording as Before Beginning — The Unreleased 'I Know' — Nashville, 1985.
. |
True
In Time is an engaging, personal album that shows the full range of Gorka’s
artistry, exhibiting his spirited acoustic guitar playing, insightful
lyrics and wry, witty storytelling. The tracks capture the sound of career
musicians (and friends) who understand where Gorka’s music comes from
and instinctively knew what to contribute. You can hear the songs lock
into place with a spontaneity and vibe that makes you, the listener, feel
as if you’ve been invited to sit in. There’s a warmth, both sonically
and in the interaction of the players, that makes this one of Gorka’s
best, and that’s saying something. The
tracks sound fresh and lived in at the same time. “A lot of the songs
on this record remind me of Utah Phillips’ line ‘The past didn't go anywhere’
and Faulkner's ‘The past is never dead. It’s not even past,’” says Gorka
of the album’s themes. “I wrote the title song with Pete Kennedy (The
Kennedys). When Carrie Fisher and her mom, Debbie Reynolds, died within
a day of each other I quoted lines from Paul Simon's ‘Mother and Child
Reunion’ on Facebook — ‘Oh I would not give you false hope on this strange
and mournful day. But a mother and child reunion is only a motion away.’
Pete responded, ‘Maybe all songs come true in time.’ Later he wrote, ‘True
in time sounds like a song,’ and we proceeded to write the song long distance
via the internet. We collaborated on the title and the lyrics and I came
up with the tune,” Gorka says. “I think that ‘What is true?' is a question
a lot of us are asking today.” |
One
Song Concerts He made 61 "One Song Concerts" This name came up with his wife Laurie. |
Joe
Gorka However,
in 2024 he released two songs on Spotify, recorded a number of videos
that he posted on his
website and started performing more regularly. |
Other
related links on this John Gorka videowebsite: