TOM PAXTON: Looking for the Moon

Tom Paxton

Looking for the Moon

© 2002 Appleseed Recordings (611587106926)

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On the GRAMMY-nominated "Looking for the Moon," Tom Paxton presents thirteen original songs emphasizing personal themes that reflect modern day life and the current cultural climate.

notes

"Looking for the Moon," nominated in December 2003 for a GRAMMY award as "Best Contemporary Folk Album," marks the first new solo studio CD for adults since 1994 by Tom Paxton, one of the greatest folksingers and songwriters of this century. On this CD, Paxton presents thirteen original songs emphasizing personal themes that encompass modern day life and the current cultural climate. Many compositions concern the inevitable and insidious march of aging and progress and their effects on average citizens. "The Chisholm Trail became the road to Disneyland," rues Tom in his modern day cowboy song, "My Pony Knows the Way." Small communities crumble beneath economic hard times in "Early Snow" and "My Oklahoma Lullaby." Nature's curative powers are given their due in "My River" and "Come Away with Me," and the tides of love carry the tender "Me and a Couple of Angels," "Marry Me Again" and "Easy Now, Easy." "Homebound Train" is a heartbreakingly poignant account of a ten-year-old boy coping with the death of his father. An early version of the CD's most topical song was a computer-age hit as the most downloaded song, for free, on the efolkmusic.com website - "The Bravest" is Tom's tribute to the heroes of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, particularly the firefighters who risked (and lost) their lives in their rescue efforts at the stricken World Trade Center.

Like Paxton's last two "grown-up" solo records, "Looking for the Moon" was produced by veteran producer/musician Jim Rooney, who has also produced CDs for John Prine and Nanci Griffith, the latter of whom adds backing vocals to two tracks here. Anne Hills, a frequent Paxton partner, contributes beautiful soprano vocals behind Tom on five songs. Other supporting musicians include dobro-player Al Perkins (previously with Emmylou Harris's Nash Ramblers, the Flying Burrito Brothers, and Stephen Stills' Manassas), guitarist Mark Howard, who has backed Iris Dement, Nanci Griffith and John Hartford, pianist Mark Wasner, who has written hits for Vince Gill and Garth Brooks, and relative newcomer Tim Crouch, who boosts the Nashville-recorded CD's country tinges with his nimble mandolin and fiddle.

Bio:
For more than forty years, Tom Paxton's work has exemplified the best qualities of the post-Fifties folksinger, combining topical, personal and humorous observations on a world of topics without becoming preachy or precious. The earnest, fresh-faced Army reservist who commuted to New York's Greenwich Village from New Jersey's Fort Dix in the early Sixties to perform at the Village's small "basket houses" has evolved into a twinkling-eyed grandfather who has forged a legendary reputation for his singing, songwriting and stage skills over the course of thousands of concerts, hundreds of original songs, and dozens of albums.

Born in Chicago in 1937 but transplanted with his family to tiny Bristow, Oklahoma, as a ten-year-old, Paxton caught the bug for R&B, classical and folk music in junior high. Although enrolling at the University of Oklahoma as a drama major, "I loved folk songs," Tom told Dirty Linen magazine, "and I guess it was about my second year that I asked for a secondhand Gibson guitar. By the time I got out of college in the spring of '59, I loved this music so much that I had to try it."

After his six-month stint in the reserves ended, Paxton became a Village fixture, one of the first of the new crop of young folkies to write original material rather than adapt traditional songs. In the tradition of Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and new contemporaries like Bob Dylan and Phil Ochs, Paxton started writing topical and often sharply satirical songs.

In 1964, Paxton was signed to Elektra Records, which released his first album, Ramblin' Boy, and song publisher Milt Okun placed soon-to-be-classic Paxton compositions like "The Last Thing on My Mind," "The Marvelous Toy" and "Ramblin' Boy" with some of the era's more commercial folk acts - the Chad Mitchell Trio, Peter, Paul & Mary, and the Kingston Trio. Tom even scored a Top 40 radio hit with The Fireballs version of his goodtimey "Bottle of Wine."

Untainted by the stigma of commercial success, Paxton continued to write both political and personal songs, gaining more fans with each album and performance throughout the Sixties. The decade ended on a high note for him with a show-stealing appearance at the 1969 Isle of Wight Festival in England. He lived in London during the early '70s and recorded his first of many albums of children's songs there in 1974.

Returning to the States, Paxton became a beloved constant on the folk circuit, revered for the depth and wit he brought - and still brings - to his songs and shows. His compositions have become templates for successive waves of singer-songwriters. As Nanci Griffith has said, "I think we are all born singing Tom Paxton songs."

He's also a whale of a storyteller. Since 1987, Paxton has written the text for more than a dozen children's picture books and recorded a series of albums for kids. His 2001 children's CD, "Your Shoes, My Shoes," was a Grammy nominee.

In February of 2002, Tom received the American Society of Composers, Artists and Publishers (ASCAP) Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his significant influence and career contributions. A few days later, he was honored with three "Wammies" (Washington, DC, Area Music Awards) as Best Male Vocalist in the "Traditional Folk" and "Children's Music" categories and for Best Traditional Folk Recording of the Year for "Under American Skies," his 2001 duo CD with Anne Hills on Appleseed. Later in the year, "Looking for the Moon" earned him a GRAMMY nomination in the "Best Contemporary Folk Album" category and won a "Greenie" Award for Best CD by a Singer-Songwriter from the Green Man Review folk music website.

reviews

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  • Looking for the Moon
    author: Mark Globuschutz

    I have been a Tom P fan since I met him at the Raven Galleries in Southfield, Michigan many years ago. When I heard "Marry Me Again" on NPR I searched for the album and found it on CD Baby. OK, I'm a little late and have been out of touch for a few years, however, Tom's music is timeless and I still enjoy his songs from the 60's and this album seems like it just came out and I love it.

  • Great collection of songs.
    author: Marjory Kline

    This is a super collection of songs. I think I heard Renee Fleming sing Early Snow on some radio program, but at the time I did not realize that Tom Paxton had written this beautiful, sad song. But then to rediscover it on this cd was a delight.My Pony Knows the Way is especially poignant And then there is Life in the Key of C. What a great song.

  • author: peter finn, london, england

    it is always a joy to hear a tom paxton release and this fine offering was no exception. tom has set some high standards with his albums over the past forty years and this superb collection of songs is right up there with his best.

  • Paxton does it again.
    author: colin willmott

    just when i thought i'd heard all Tom Paxton had to offer along comes Looking For The Moon, another masterpiece from one of the most important folk singer/songwriters of the last 50 years.the songs all create pictures in your mind as you listen to them and you get totally absorbed within the songs. his tribute to the firemen of 9/11 is the most evocative song i've heard for many years.Tom Paxton still has something to say!

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