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Reviews of Gordon Bok's Music

Review from Mount Desert Islander October 19, 2006

Gordon Bok in Concert

FOLKSINGER'S TALENT IS NATIONAL TREASURE
Gordon Bok's performance Saturday at The Grand in Ellsworth served to solidify a case for the Camden singer and guitarist to be named a national treasure. And, judging from the response of the nearly sold-out crowd, Mr. Bok would have plenty of support if such an honor came down to a vote.

Perhaps best known as the voice of those who make their living from the sea, Mr. Bok speaks eloquently for all who eke out a hardscrabble living in unforgiving northern climates like Maine, Maritime Canada and Scotland. He tells their stories in a warm bass-baritone that evokes the strength, resolve and sense of humor necessary to survive in harsh environments, where one step can make the difference between success and tragedy.

What sets Mr. Bok apart from many folksingers is that he has actually lived the life he sings about. He grew up around the Camden boatyards and worked on fishing boats and passenger schooners. He cut peat for fuel in northern Scotland and rebuilt stone walls in Vermont. Along the way, he collected songs from their sources and composed many of his own.

These life experiences lend his music a credibility not often found outside of acknowledged folk masters like Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly and Jimmy Rodgers.

At The Grand, Mr. Bok split his performance in two, taking an intermission before returning to the stage to complete the 90-minute set. The scheduled opening act, Mustard's Retreat, did not perform and no explanation was given.

Throughout the evening, Mr. Bok switched between 12-string and 6-string acoustic guitars, both Maine-made instruments and bearing a rich, open sound that complimented his deep, heartfelt vocals and gave him the opportunity to demonstrate his masterful guitar technique.

Mr. Bok began the concert with a song about the sailor's life, which he jokingly described as "predictable."

"They come ashore, get in trouble and run off to sea again," Mr. Bok quipped.

He followed with an a cappella tune about rounding Cape Horn. Unaccompanied, Mr. Bok's voice is every bit as satisfying and accurate as when he sings with instrumental backup. His dulcet tones expand to fill every corner of the auditorium, resonating with the courage of those who have sailed through one of roughest sea passages on earth.

Like all true poets, Mr. Bok has a keen ear for finding art where others see only the mundane. An example is his song, "Pretty," which is based on a radio conversation he overheard between two lobstermen. The song details the attempt of one fisherman to aid the second, who finds himself in a bit of a jam. The first fisherman uses tact and typical Maine understatement in his attempt to convince his reluctant and proud counterpart to accept the help, illustrating "diplomacy where you don't often find it," Mr. Bok said in his introduction.

After the intermission, Mr. Bok began with what is perhaps his best-known song, "Hills of Isle au Haut." The tune concluded to generous applause from the audience, some of whom were singing along to the chorus.

Mr. Bok is every bit as entertaining a storyteller as he is a musician. Whether telling about the time he learned a ballad from a woman in northernmost Scotland or introducing a song about the merits of a cheap Australian red wine called "plonk," he is able to create an aural image of the encounter, adding humor without being disrespectful. In fact, given Mr. Bok's wealth of experiences, one imagines he could hold an audience's attention through an entire evening without once singing a note or picking up a guitar.

After being called back for an encore, Mr. Bok ended the evening with a song appropriate for the season, "These Are the Best of Autumn." The melancholy tune was a fitting conclusion to the concert and, at Mr. Bok's urging, the audience sang along before leaving their seats and entering the crisp fall air.

by Mark Good, Mount Desert Islander

 

Review from The Boston Globe October 2006

Gordon Bok in Concert

Timberhead  Music 16

The music of Maine folk singer Bok is like a universe unto itself, a roughhewn land filled with hardscrabble people, rascals in high places, and a natural world that is both cruel and kind, deadly and nurturing. On a long-awaited, fireside-friendly live album, Gordon Bok in Concert, he sings about mining disasters and drunken fisherman, the last dreams of drowning men, and the gentle sound of neighbors helping neighbors. His glorious bass-baritone is a bit more frayed now, like good leather softened from years of use. But that only makes his ballads more believable, as he roams the long trail of memory, from the wild and hurried passions of our youth, to the older joy that comes from knowing the real value of a quiet day.

by Scott Alarik, The Boston Globe