About
Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist John McCutcheon has been at the forefront of American folk music since the late '70s, covering a wide variety of traditions including Appalachian dulcimer and fiddle music, topical protest songs, and children's albums for respected folk labels like June Appal, Red House, and Rounder Records. Establishing himself as a master of the hammered dulcimer on the groundbreaking 1977 release The Wind That Shakes the Barley, the Wisconsin native moved into making children's music in the early '80s with albums like Howjadoo and Mail Myself to You. Proficient on numerous instruments including the hammered and mountain dulcimer, fiddle, guitar, banjo, and jawharp, McCutcheon has also performed widely as a storyteller, written several books, worked as a social and labor activist, and produced albums for other artists such as Holly Near, making him something of a renaissance man. He has remained prolific in the 21st century, both on-stage and in the studio, releasing thoughtful, finely crafted albums like the 2006 literary project Mightier Than the Sword and 2013's diverse 22 Days, a collaboration with Bosnian cellist Vedran Smailovic. In the early 2020s, he averaged a new album every year including the 2023 Tom Paxton collaboration Together.
From 🇺🇸 United States
Genres
