John Gorka
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John Gorka (b. 1958, Newark, New Jersey) is a contemporary American folk musician. Upon the release of his first album in 1987, Rolling Stone magazine dubbed him "the voice of 'new folk'."
[edit] Biography
Gorka received his first guitar as a Christmas gift, though Gorka alleges that his older brother stole it from him shortly thereafter. He eventually learned, instead, to play the banjo, and began performing in a folk music group at his church.
Gorka attended Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and joined the Razzy Dazzy Spasm Band which would also include guitarist Richard Shindell. He later began performing solo at the Godfrey Daniels coffee house as the opening act for various musicians who toured there. These included Nanci Griffith, Bill Morrissey, Claudia Schmidt and Jack Hardy.
In 1984, Gorka took first place at the Kerrville Folk Festival. Since then he has toured with artists such as Suzanne Vega, Shawn Colvin, Michael Manring, Christine Lavin, Dave Van Ronk, Cliff Eberhardt, David Massengill, Frank Christian and Lucy Kaplansky.
[edit] Discography
- I Know (Red House Records, 1987)
- Land of the Bottom Line (Windham Hill/High Street, 1990)
- Jack's Crows (Windham Hill/High Street, 1991)
- Temporary Road (Windham Hill/High Street, 1992)
- Out of the Valley (Windham Hill/High Street, 1994)
- Between Five and Seven (Windham Hill/High Street, 1996)
- After Yesterday (Red House Records, 1998)
- The Company You Keep (Red House Records, 2001)
- Old Futures Gone (Red House Records, 2003)
- Writing in the Margins (Red House Records, 2006)
- Pure John Gorka (Windham Hill, 2006)
EPs:
- Motor Folkin' (Windham Hill/High Street, 1994)
[edit] External links
- Official Website
- John Gorka on All Music Guide
- John Gorka videosite
- "More good noise" a detailed discography/fan site.
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Categories: 1958 births | Living people | American baritones | American folk guitarists | American folk singers | American singer-songwriters | Fast Folk artists | Kerrville New Folk Competition finalists | New Jersey musicians | People from Newark, New Jersey | United States singer-songwriter stubs
