ALBUM SINGLE “PETE’S SHOULDERS: THE POWER OF SONG” OUT TODAY IN HONOR OF PETE SEEGER’S BIRTHDAY
&
TO SUPPORT FOLK ALLIANCE’S #FORPETESSAKEDONATE CAMPAIGN BENEFITING THE VILLAGE FUND
Photo: Michael G. Stewart
LISTEN // WATCH: “PETE’S SHOULDERS: THE POWER OF SONG”
GRAMMY® Award-winning folk icons Tom Paxton, and Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer (who make music as Cathy & Marcy), have announced their forthcoming live, double album collaboration, ALL NEW, set for release on July 29th. Today, the trio released the project’s first single, “Pete’s Shoulders: The Power Of Song,” a tribute to the legendary Pete Seeger and in honor of his birthday. “Pete Seeger was a Lincolnian figure to me and an avatar who never let us down,” says Paxton. “Pete once sent me a copy of one of his songbooks, nicely inscribed, and when I sent him one of my own I wrote on the title page, ‘To Pete, on whose aching shoulders I have stood for 50 years.’”
The song and its accompanying video are released in conjunction with Folk Alliance International’s #ForPetesSakeDonate campaign to raise money and awareness for The Village Fund, a grant program for folk artists and independent music industry professionals experiencing financial hardship.
The songs on ALL NEW began in weekly co-writing sessions on ZOOM with Paxton and Fink in 2020. Each week’s session resulted in a new song. The results include love songs, comedy, history, social justice, and great storytelling, and span styles from folk to bluegrass to swing to round-singing. In January 2022, the three recorded 28 of the songs live in concert and in-studio.
The trio 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.
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 kicks off a run of tour dates on June 9th, dates 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. Be sure to follow Tom Paxton and Cathy & Marcy at the links below for the latest news and updates.
TOM PAXTON ON TOUR
6/9 - Godfrey Daniels - Bethlehem, PA
6/10 - City Winery - NYC
6/11 - Hurdy Gurdy Folk Club - Fair Lawn, NJ
6/12 - Caffe Lena - Saratoga Springs, NY
6/14 - Club Passim - Cambridge, MA
6/16 - Norwood Village Green Concert Series - Norwood, NY
6/17 - Smith Center for the Arts - Geneva, NY
6/18 - 1891 Fredonia Opera House - Fredonia, NY
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
10/30 - The Birchmere - Alexandria, VA
CONNECT WITH CATHY & MARCY:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE | SPOTIFY
CONNECT WITH TOM PAXTON:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE | SPOTIFY
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Susan Hamilton || susan@sideways-media.com