After a lopsided battle between piano lessons and baseball, John McCutcheon “found his voice” thanks to a cheap mail-order guitar and a used book of chords. From such inauspicious beginnings, he has emerged as one of our most respected and loved folk singers. As an instrumentalist, he is a master of a dozen different traditional instruments, most notably the rare and beautiful hammer dulcimer. His songwriting has been hailed by critics and singers around the globe. His 30 recordings have garnered every imaginable honor, including seven Grammy nominations. And he has produced over 20 albums by other artists, while his commitment to grassroots political organizations has put him on the front lines of many of the issues important to communities and workers.
Even before graduating summa cum laude from Minnesota’s St John’s University, this Wisconsin native literally “headed for the hills,” forgoing a college lecture hall for the classroom of the eastern Kentucky coal camps, union halls, country churches, and square dance halls. His apprenticeship to many of the legendary figures of Appalachian music imbedded a love of not only home-made music, but a sense of community and rootedness. The result is music, whether traditional or from his huge catalog of original songs, with the profound mark of place, family, and strength.
The Washington Post described John as folk music’s “Rustic Renaissance Man.” He is equally at home in an elementary school auditorium, on a festival stage or at a farm rally. People of every generation and background seem to feel at home in a concert hall when John McCutcheon takes the stage, with what critics describe as “little feats of magic,” “breathtaking in their ease and grace,” and “like a conversation with an illuminating old friend.”
October 4 @ 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm
The Greenwich Village Folk Festival: Live 40th Anniversary Concert