McCutcheon’s songs sing of the nation’s heritage, while his words channel the conscience of our people into streams of poetry and melody. He writes about subjects small and great, from a child’s haircut to freedom and human dignity – issues equally eternal and enduring. To his listeners, McCutcheon is an incarnation of Pete Seeger and Mr. Rogers, Will Rogers and Bruce Springsteen, and above all Everyman. McCutcheon is righteously passionate and impishly playful, blessed with gifts as a songwriter, historian, musician and storyteller that have won him praise in Australia as “the most overwhelming folk performer in the English language,” from a Russian critic as “the most versatile and compelling performer this reviewer has ever seen,” and from Johnny Cash as “the most impressive instrumentalist I’ve ever heard.”

Add to this the 31 albums in his catalog and the six Grammy nominations and multiple Parent’s Choice and American Library Association awards they’ve won, stir in the diverse and growing following that has flocked to his shows, and the point is made clear: John McCutcheon is as timeless as tradition, as immediate as tomorrow’s headlines, and as vital as any artist who seeks to enlighten as well as entertain.