John Gorka - I Know - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

John Gorka is one of the most well-loved singer/songwriters in the folk community. With a career spanning 40 years and a discography of 17 solo releases, he embodies the best of folk music with his eclectic blend of folk, blues, and bluegrass influences, with insightful lyrics and engaging delivery. On his new album, unentitled, Gorka reasserts his voice as a guiding light in the folk scene. The album opens with InchFavorite Place,Inch an upbeat reflection on the songwriter's life and the creative process. InchA Light Exists in the SpringInch is a setting of an Emily Dickinson poem brought to life by Gorka's sparkling acoustic guitar and warm, rich baritone vocal, which segues into InchParticle & Wave (Goodness in the World),Inch an anthem to the power of kindness and the better angels of human nature. Gorka delivers a stunning rendition of the well-loved Stan Rogers song InchHarris and The MareInch (the sole cover on the album) before closing with a reprise of InchParticle & Wave.Inch Joining Gorka on the project are Lucy Kaplansky and Eliza Gilkyson, fellow folk icons that share the Red House legacy with him. The album was produced by Rob Genadek John Gorka's career was launched in the mid-80s when he won the prestigious New Folk award at the Kerrville Folk Festival in 1984. Several years later, he signed to Red House Records for the of his debut album, I Know. He migrated to Windham Hill/High Street for his subsequent three releases, earning extensive critical acclaim from a variety of publications including Rolling Stone which dubbed him the preeminent male singer songwriter of the New Folk Movement. Following his return to Red House in 1998, he has released a string of albums that all achieved folk chart-topping success. Unentitled marks Gorka's 10th album for the Red House Records imprint.

2018 . After 14 critically acclaimed albums, countless national and international tours, and collaborations with the likes of Nanci Griffith, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Ani DiFranco, Lucy Kaplansky, Patty Larkin, and many more, John Gorka is now releasing True In Time, a 12 song collection he put together with long time producer, Rob Genadek. The result of three days of Inchmusical commotionInch with a group of regular collaborators assembled by Genadek, the songs on True In Time span a lyrical spectrum from the spirit lives of dogs, to the people of the Taos Pueblo, to the idea that all songs manifest in time. Another special element are two lost songs, InchBlues with A Rising SunInch and InchRed Eye & RosesInch both recovered by fan recordings that John felt found a place with his more recent compositions. The album was recorded Inchold schoolInch with the musicians all playing together in one place, making up their own parts in the moment or in reaction to the demos he and Genendek had circulated prior to recording. The result is a lively, immediate listening experience certain to find a treasured spot in the collection of long time fans.

Since his 1987 Red House , I Know, introduced renowned artist John Gorka to the public, the Minnesotavia-New Jersey guitarist and songwriter's insight, wit and honesty has made him one of the most respected, beloved songwriters currently carrying on the folk tradition. With the insight that comes with hindsight, John has decided to share his very first studio sessions, a collection of songs recorded in Nashville at Cowboy Jack Clements' studio in 1985 with producer Jim Rooney (John Prine, Nanci Griffith, Iris Dement). Still finding his way, John decided to go a different direction and the sessions were never released. Before Beginning, The Unreleased I Know - Nashville, 1985, brings these never-before-heard, studio versions of John's earliest material to the public after three decades. Recorded spontaneously with a full band of top Nashville players - and Shawn Colvin and Lucy Kaplansky on harmony vocals- these sessions provide a fascinating look into the road not taken, an alternate musical direction this now well-known artist chose to forego. Featuring nine of the 12 songs that would be on his debut album I Know, there's also a full band version of InchGeza's Wailing Ways,Inch a track that first appeared in 1983 on a Fast Folk compilation. With extensive liner notes and reminiscences by Gorka, we see the seasoned songwriter, now 13 critically acclaimed albums into his career, revisiting his first foray into a professional studio as an aspiring 25-year-old. Even though it is an older recording, it's a fresh take on the songs, many considered Gorka's finest.