From: owner-good-noise-digest@smoe.org (good-noise-digest) To: good-noise-digest@smoe.org Subject: good-noise-digest V2 #126 Reply-To: good-noise@smoe.org Sender: owner-good-noise-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-good-noise-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk good-noise-digest Wednesday, October 27 1999 Volume 02 : Number 126 Today's Subjects: ----------------- By Request -- Part II ["Chris and Rosemary Thorpe" ] By Request -- Part I ["Chris and Rosemary Thorpe" ] Lost World cd's [Tay Mueller ] Re: By Request -- Part II [SAbrams613@aol.com] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 25 Oct 1999 10:18:02 -0400 From: "Chris and Rosemary Thorpe" Subject: By Request -- Part II Part II Gorka says Jennings' presense and playing helped him get the sound he >always wanted. > "I was able to get the phrasing the way I do when I play by myself," >Gorka says. "I think it's the most joyful record I've made." > Part of that joy comes from the fact that Gorka is now a father. He >thanks a Bocephus Mahatma Sinatra Gorka in the liner notes. But no, Gorka >wouldn't do that to a kid. His son's name is Joseph. And Joseph is the >subject of "When he cries." > "He looks like an angel when he's sleeping. A little piece of heaven >where he lies. He looks like an angel when he's sleeping, but he looks like >Charles Bronson when he cries... He looks like Charles Bronson, he once went >to Wisconsin, but he looks like Charles Bronson when he cries." > It's handy having a song that mentions a state when you're a trveling >musician, Gorka admits. "But it's not a priority," he says. "You can't >really have one for every state." > How about a song that you can just insert each state name into? Maybe >it would work for his song, "I'm from New Jersey." > "Well, no," he says. "You can't really say: "I'm from North Dakota, I >don't expect too much," he says. > Sure, you could. But Gorka is too nice a guy. He's so nice, he goes >along with a suggestion that he fill out the quiz at the bottom of his Web >site at All Music Group. AMG, which has sites on all sorts of musicians, >asks visitors to check off the qualities appropriate to each performer in >its "Music Expert Check." > So, would Gorka say that his music is energizing and exciting, or >soothing and relaxing? "Definitely soothing and relaxing." > Dense and thick or light, free, transparent? "Dense and light... And I >can be very dense at times." > Harsh and aggressive or gentle and peaceful? "More on the peaceful >side, but there are, I think, it's a passionate kind of peaceful and not a >passive kind." > Cold and firm or warm and soft? "I'd say warm and firm," he says >firmly, with a laugh. > Bright, dynamic and ornate or low-key, calm and melancholic? Huh? >"Well, low-key. What were the first ones? No, none of them. I have >moments of dynamism but in general, it's not my goal." > Popular, plain and simple or elaborate and sophisticated? "None of the >above." > Dark, pessimistic and bitter or light, cheerful and sweet? "Dark and >sweet. I'm like... That's all I'll say," he says with a laugh. > Emotional, sensual and playful or sober, arranged and proper? "I'll go >with the first one on that, wether I am or not." > And one more that is not on AMG's list. Here is a guy who started off >playing banjo, but only just got around to playing it on his record, because >"I'm more likely to try something odd or different at home than I am in >front of people, in front of strangers." > Yup, he's shy. "I'd check that one," he says. > >There it is Barbara. > >On a side note, did anyone get my review on Saturday nights concert? I sent >it out on Sunday to the group, but it hasn't shown up in my mailbox. > >Mike ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Oct 1999 10:17:49 -0400 From: "Chris and Rosemary Thorpe" Subject: By Request -- Part I Original message is being sent in two separate messages, as we have a 7000 character limit per message. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ------- Part I >From: "Mike Smith" >To: good-noise@smoe.org >Subject: By Request >Date: Mon, 25 Oct 1999 13:48:23 PDT >Mime-Version: 1.0 >Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed > > >>PLEASE type the telephone interview (thanks in advance for the effort and >>time). >> >>Barbara >> > >This article was written by Mary Barber for the Janesville (WI) Gazette on >October 21: > >Hoo, boy. > Men can talk all they want about Melissa Joan Hart's risque photo on >the cover of Maxim magazine, or Gina Gershon on ABC's "Snoops," or Jennifer >Lopez on anything. > Women need only note that John Gorka and Greg Brown will be doing a >show, same night, same stage, in Madison this weekend. > It's like the Backstreet Boys of folk. > "Wouldn't be nearly as pretty," says Gorka with a laugh. > No, but women know something men don't: Good-looking and sexy are NOT >the same thing. > Sexy and Greg Brown, though? > Don't even get us started. > Gorka professes to be oblivious to the effect he and his pal have on >audiences, despite reams of press clippings that talk about his chocolatey >voice. If there's moaning, heavy breathing or screaming, he doesn't hear >it. > "There's not a whole lot of that," he says, chuckling, in a phone >interterview from his Minnesota home. > There is a whole lot of great songs, though. Gorka has sent seven >albums full of them to stores; Brown has countless tunes. > "He's got this amazing songwriting facility," Gorka says. "I've seen >him make up songs on the spot. He's always an interesting performer." > The two have performed together a few times over the years. But the >Madison show is a one-off, a benefit for the Wisconsin Wetlands Association. > "It's been a while, so I'm looking forward to it," Gorka says. "I >think I'm to do an hour, then Greg will do an hour or more." > A Gorka-Brown tour would be fine with him. > "I did some shows with him in California, and I really enjoyed it," >Gorka says. "There was this radio show that we were both on-I did a blues >song, and Greg played along. He's a very musical guy. You can never >predict what will happen with him." > Unpredictability seems to be an important quality for Gorka. It's >certainly part of what made his latest CD, "After Yesterday," his best yet. > "It was done in a very unusual way," he says. "It was the most >involved I've ever been on a record." > Gorka wrote about 14 songs, recorded a vocal and guitar demo, and sent >them to percussionist Andy Stochansky, who also works with Ani DiFranco. > "It keeps it interesting for me if there's an element of uncertainty," >he says. "I wasn't even sure what I was suggesting to the drummer, Andy. >We just talked about it... He sent me back a multitrack tape-percussion and >drum parts-to eight songs. He didn't build on what I sent him... He played >in time, and picked a good tempo... He left me room to do what I do. It's >an amazing thing." > Stochansky's tape featured five-to-six-minute collections of loops and >percussion parts. Gorka then re-recorded himself over it, at home. > He says he played the results for producer John Jennings the night >before they began working on the record. > "He said he thought half the job was done for him." > Jennings played a number of instruments on the record, including >upright bass, percussion, guitar, keyboard and drums. This is the third >time Gorka and Jennings, who also works for Mary Chapin Carpenter, have >worked together. Carpenter and others suggested to Gorka that Jennings >would be a good producer for his stuff. > "They were right," Gorka says. "He's very intuitive in the studio... >He's good at working with the things that I throw at him." > "And being such a great player, he can also come up with parts on the >spot on any number of instuments. I asked him when we were doing it, do you >have a sound in mind, or do you make things up as you go along? He said >it's a little bit of both." > ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1999 16:30:46 -0400 From: Tay Mueller Subject: Lost World cd's In one of those moments of serendipity, we happen to be talking about the Lost World cd and how wonderful it is, and I just heard from Jay Ansill, who put the cd together. He has just managed to buy back the remining copies from the now defunct lable that didn't distribute them, and has them for sale himself. You can email him at jansill@aol.com or check out his website at http://www.fortissimo.org/artists/ansill/ or you can send a check for $15 for each CD plus a couple of bucks for P&H to: Jay Ansill Box 35 New Hope PA 18938 Standard disclaimers here. I do know Jay, but I am not involved with this at all. I just think it is one of the best overlooked cd's ever, and I thought some of you might be interested. A LOST WORLD is a collection of 14 poems written by Robert Graves (Known as the author of I, CLAUDIUS, GOODBYE TO ALL THAT, and THE WHITE GODDESS) set as songs. The album features an amzing lineup of singers and players, including John Gorka, Anne Hills, Richard Shindell, Seamus Egan, John Roberts & Tony Barrand, Johnny Cunningham, Priscilla Herdman, and many others. Gaudete, Tay "Disbelief in magic can force a poor soul into believing in government and business." - Tom Robbins Music: 24 hour Hotline: 609-259-5764 http://users.aol.com/osnsnews Cybrarian and Publicity-Publishing for Outta Sights & Sounds, Hightstown, NJ - ------------------------------------- Visit my dwarf hamsters at The Figgery http://www.erols.com.powzie ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1999 21:28:13 EDT From: SAbrams613@aol.com Subject: Re: By Request -- Part II Thank you for typing this for us, Mike. Really enjoyed it! Barbara ------------------------------ End of good-noise-digest V2 #126 ********************************