Artist Bios

John Gorka - June 7

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.

Though a long way from 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 song craft weave together in a way that can only be described as “Gorka.”

Beau Django - June 14

Beau Django is sweet, upbeat, Gypsy heat with a fresh new take. Playing an extensive repertoire focusing on the music of Django Reinhardt, Stephane Grappelli and The Hot Club of France, Beau Django incorporates their collective knowledge of other styles and sounds to bring a new flavor to this great tradition. Now in its second incarnation, Beau Django features guitar virtuoso Andre Riege and young mandolin prodigy Bryce Milano, along with group founder, Jon Dichter on vocals & rhythm guitar.

Susan Werner - June 21

Farm girl Susan Werner was raised in rural Iowa but began her professional music career in Philadelphia, after studying classical voice at Temple University. Inspired by a Nanci Griffith concert, Werner left behind her opera training and began performing as a singer-songwriter at coffeehouses throughout the northeast. She self-released her first album "Midwestern Saturday Night" in 1992 and then went on to put out "Live at Tin Angel" the following year.

In 1995 came her breakout album, BMG/Private Music's "Last of the Good Straight Girls," but a corporate reshuffle left her and her folk-pop masterpiece behind. Werner went on, recording two albums even better than her previous work, adding some country and soul sounds to her signature vocal stylings with the help of Nashville multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Darrell Scott, who produced "Time Between Trains" and Colin Linden (Blackie & The Rodeo Kings), who produced her 2001 "New Non-Fiction."

Steven Forbert - June 28

Nearly 28 years since breaking into pop consciousness with his second album Jackrabbit Slim and its infectious Top Ten single “Romeo’s Tune,” Steve Forbert remains a master of songs offering clear-eyed insight and plain-spoken, heartfelt eloquence. On his 429 Records/SLG debut, the well-traveled Nashville-based troubadour—who maintains a busy touring schedule of over 100 dates a year — explores his ongoing fascination for Strange Names & New Sensations with characteristic wit, a sense of social consciousness and the ever-present romantic optimism that has endeared him to two generations of folk/rock fans.

Beyond launching an exciting relationship with a new label, the vibrant collection finds Forbert in the midst of a true career renaissance at the wonderful age of 52—a time in his life he reflects upon wistfully on the sly narrative of the up-tempo, horn driven tune “Middle Age.”

Chris Smither - July 12

Some artists continually reinvent themselves; others identify their muse early on and spend their careers single-mindedly pursuing it, remaining recognizably themselves through a career-long process of refinement, growth and discovery. Chris Smither belongs to the latter group. Leave the Light On, Smither's masterful twelfth album—the first he's released on his own Mighty Albert label—stands as the quintessence of his life's work while throwing in some new wrinkles that reflect where he's been and what he's encountered since the last time around. But Smither's central theme as he enters his 60s is clearer than ever.

Tom Chapin - July 19

Adult albums and kids’ albums, contemporary folk, and pop, Tom Chapin’s music spans styles and generations. For more than thirty years and through nineteen compact discs, Chapin has entertained, amused and enlightened audiences of all ages with life-affirming original songs told in a sophisticated array of musical styles. Tom’s remarkable musicianship, great songwriting and personal warmth shine through whether he’s performing in a concert hall, an outdoor festival, a school, in front of a symphony orchestra or in an intimate coffeehouse.

Tom’s adult concerts and recordings are sparked by strong, intelligent songwriting with clear, engaging vocals and the intricate, melodic guitar work that has become his trademark. He has recorded eight albums of adult-oriented material. The newest, The Turning Of The Ti d e, was released September 2006. The New York Times calls Tom Chapin “one of the great personalities in contemporary folk music.” He says: “Mine is not a traditional music, but it comes from a tradition. My musical heroes are people like Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie who wrote and sang real songs for real people; for everyone, old, young, and in between.”