Folk Legends John McCutcheon and Tom Paxton Will Perform in Duluth in May

John Mccutcheon  and Tom Paxton will perform at Red Clay Theatre in Duluth in May. The performance is on Sunday, May 5.

John McCutcheon has been delighting audiences with live performance and recordings for decades.  The late Johnny Cash referred to him as “the most impressive multi-instrumentalist I ever heard.”  In a McCutcheon show, along with storytelling and fun, listeners will hear this master musician play hammered dulcimer, banjo, piano, harmonica, guitar and more.

His recordings have garnered every imaginable honor including seven Grammy nominations. He has produced over twenty albums of other artists, from traditional fiddlers to contemporary singer-songwriters to educational and documentary works. His books and instructional materials have introduced budding players to the joys of their own musicality. McCutcheon’s commitment to grassroots political organizations has put him on the front lines of many of the issues important to communities and workers.

John and Tom Paxton have been pals for decades, but it was COVID and Zoom that turned them into a songwriting team.  Every Monday at 2PM they’d tell jokes, reminisce about old friends, and, of course, talk lots of sports.  Eventually one would say, “Well, guess we better write a song, huh?”  And off they’d go, two old warhorses pulling the plow.  Now, a hundred songs later, they’ve gathered fourteen for their first joint recording, the aptly titled Togetherwhich was released last fall.  The album can be here on Spotify here - https://open.spotify.com/album/3ubMM1xhoILBJvXvEBHtdv?si=u7Qm2T1hRua8NoQueRkwWg

The stunning result provides songs about history, the news, baseball, cowboys, America, love, the remembered, the forgotten.  Gathering John’s familiar crew of supporting musicians (fiddle wizard Stuart Duncan, keyboardist Jon Carroll, bass player JT Brown, as well as special guest, Country Music Hall of Famer Charlie McCoy), the arrangements are compelling, the production pristine, and the performances stunning.  From the stirring “Ukrainian Now” to the hilarious “Same Old Crap,” the immigrant story of “In America” to the heart stopping finale, “Together,” each song shines as would be expected of this partnership.