LIVE ALBUM PROJECT ALL NEW SET FOR RELEASE ON JULY 29TH
Photo: Michael G. Stewart
LISTEN: “WE’RE GETTING BACK TO NORMAL”
GRAMMY® Award-winning folk icons Tom Paxton, and Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer (who make music as Cathy & Marcy), have released “We’re Getting Back To Normal,” a joyful new single from their forthcoming live, double album collaboration, ALL NEW, set for release on July 29th. The songs on ALL NEW began in weekly co-writing sessions on ZOOM with Paxton and Fink in 2020. The results include love songs, comedy, history, social justice, and great storytelling, spanning styles from folk to bluegrass to swing to round-singing.
“We’re Getting Back To Normal” is a joyful earworm that celebrates society springing back to life after the isolation of the last couple of years, an exuberant blend of western swing, acoustic mastery, and lyrical sunshine. The single follows barn-burner “Since You,” which Bluegrass Today called a “sprightly number that makes you feel good for listening,” and “Pete’s Shoulders (The Power Of Song),” a tribute to the legendary Pete Seeger and in honor of his birthday.
They also recently released “Don’t Say Gay,” a topical, tongue-in-cheek song and video in response to Florida’s controversial House Bill 1557. The song and video feature the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC.
LISTEN: “SINCE YOU”
LISTEN // WATCH: “PETE’S SHOULDERS (THE POWER OF SONG)”
WATCH: DON’T SAY GAY (ft. THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF WASHINGTON, DC)
GRAMMY® Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Tom Paxton has become a voice of his generation, addressing issues of injustice and inhumanity, laying bare the absurdities of modern culture, and celebrating community. In describing Paxton's influence on his fellow musicians, Kennedy Center Honors Awardee Pete Seeger has said: "Tom's songs have a way of sneaking up on you. You find yourself humming them, whistling them, and singing a verse to a friend.”
A catalog of hundreds of songs serves to document Paxton's 57-year career and the power his songs have had on major artists who have recorded them including Willie Nelson, Placido Domingo, Porter Waggoner and Dolly Parton, Judy Collins, Joan Baez, and more.
TWO-TIME GRAMMY® Award Winners, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer are an eclectic folk festival on their own terms. They have entertained the Queen of Thailand, been keynote singers for the AFL-CIO, performed at hundreds of folk festivals, and appeared on the "Today Show" and on National Public Radio. Their superb harmonies are backed by instrumental virtuosity on the guitar, five-string banjo, ukulele, mandolin, cello-banjo, and more.
The duo, whose past students include Kaki King and Rhiannon Giddens, are the artistic directors of the Ola Belle Reed Songwriting retreat and of The Music Center at Strathmore’s annual Ukefest. They are closing in on their 50th recording and have been honored with 65 Washington Area Music Awards, 12 GRAMMY® nominations, and a multi-generational following of fans.
Tom Paxton is currently on tour, details are listed below. Check your local listings for PBS this month and tune in to catch Cathy & Marcy featured on David Holt’s State of Music, and be sure to follow Tom Paxton and Cathy & Marcy at the links below for the latest news and updates.
TOM PAXTON ON TOUR
6/24 - McCabe’s - Santa Monica, CA
6/25 & 6/26 - Kate Wolf Music Festival - Laytonville, CA
6/28 - Hopmonk Tavern - Novato, CA
6/29 - Freight & Salvage - Berkeley, CA
7/15 - Woody Guthrie Center - Tulsa, OK
7/16 - Woodyfest - Okemah, OK
9/11-9/21 - Set Sail with Tom Paxton & The DonJuans - New Boston, MA
10/27 - The Loft @ City Winery - NYC, NY
10/30 - The Birchmere - Alexandria, VA