It started during the pandemic. Cooped up in their homes, folk-music vets Tom Paxton and John McCutcheon began meeting for weekly writing sessions over Zoom, ultimately composing nearly 200 songs. That collaboration inspired these old friends to record the 2023 album, Together. Now they’re following it with Together Again, another immensely likable example of traditional folk at its eloquent, plainspoken best.
The 88-year-old Paxton counts such standards as “The Last Thing on My Mind” and “Bottle of Wine” among his creations. A relative youngster at 73, McCutcheon is a gifted player specializing in old-time instruments. Spotlighting their engaging voices, Together Again is the work of two men with nothing left to prove, clearly enjoying each other’s company as they tell tales bathed in the warm glow of nostalgia, albeit with a bittersweet sense of mortality. Providing understated support are fine players like Jon Carroll (keyboards, accordion), Steve Hinson (steel), and, best of all, Stuart Duncan (fiddle), who adds a poignant tinge without lapsing into cheap sentimentality.
