Catch up with American troubador John Gorka at the Rubin, 8/7

By Gwen Orel

The first time I heard “Chance of Rain,” on John Gorka’s 2006 CD, Writing in the Margins, I thought, “that’s pretty, I’ll play it again.” The second time I felt its yearning melody pull at me. As I kept playing it, first I felt a lump in my throat and by the end of the day just hearing its chords would send me off into a crying jag– one that I really needed.

“Forget pursuit of happiness

a little break is all I ask

each day is an act of faith

cause living things are never safe…”

You can watch Gorka sing it here.

Somehow these lyrics hit me harder than any on-the-nose words about death, loss, regret could have. Such is the power of a really terrific American folksong.

Gorka is associated with “The New Folk Movement,” and first began recording in the 80s. He’s admired by Nanci Griffith, who sings with him on Writing in the Margins, (as do Lucy Kaplansy and Alice Peacock) as well as Suzanne Vega, Christine Lavine, Shawn Colvin. Mary Chapin Carpenter, Maura O’Connell and Mary Black have recorded his songs. These observations and stories are often pensive, but occasionally upbeat and swingy too.

Friday, August 7, Gorka appears in NYC at the Rubin Museum as part of the series Naked Soul. This acoustic series in an intimate space always includes the artist choosing works from the Himalayan art museum to accompany their text. For a storyteller like Gorka, that should be very interesting indeed.It’s the music– naked. Admission always includes entrance to the galleries and a tour after. There’s a bar upstairs and you can bring your drinks in with you. I love going to the Rubin.

Gorka’s new CD So Dark You See comes out in September, and he will be playing songs from it tomorrow night. I’ve heard a few tracks already and it’s a return to traditional folk music– he was with Windham Hill, the “new age” acoustic label, for awhile– now he’s back with Red House Records, and the music reflects that return. He sings the Scottish poet Robert Burns’ “Ae Fond Kiss” in a country-folk style, and also includes two instrumental tunes– the first time Gorka has ever shown off his musical chops this way. “I Think of You” by Utah Phillips is introduced by the folk legend himself . ”Ignorance and Privilege” is a catchy, yet rueful look at how being born into safety and security is also being born into ignorance.

This is a songwriter whose artist site includes his family pierogi recipe on the front page… with a comment that “the dough is the tricky part for me.” Sure, there is CD info and bio and press stuff- but his family recipe and a random list of Top Ten from 2007 are at the front (although it’s a list with 36 things in it). That’s real honesty– and it shows in the music, too.

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Gwen Orel writes about music, theatre and culture for many publications. She is a slave to Celtic music.