John McCutcheon November 18, 2007

In the past twenty years, ask anyone in the music world who is the most influential hammer dulcimer player in America and one name comes up: John McCutcheon. Ask anyone who has written, produced, and released the most folk music albums during that span: same answer. Who has been in the forefront of redefining childrens music making it truly adult-friendly? Same guy.

John McCutcheon, who the Washington Post calls Virginias rustic renaissance man, makes his ninth appearance in concert at the Williamsburg Library Theatre, 515 Scotland Street on Sunday, November 18 at 7:30 p.m. Advance tickets are $15 for adults, $13 for students and Friends of the Library with ID and $7 for those under 16. Day of the show tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for students and Friends of the Library and $12 for those under 16. Tickets can be reserved with a credit card by calling (757) 259-4070. This performance is part of the Williamsburg Regional Librarys Dewey Decibel Concert Series.

John McCutcheon wasnt supposed to become a folksinger. Raised in Wisconsin, he was headed for a lucrative career as a social worker in migrant labor camps. While in college he heard the songs of the Dust Bowl refugees and other tunes that crackled on the airwaves of early 1960s radio. He ended up roaming the Appalachians armed with a backpack, a banjo and a healthy measure of youthful curiosity. Under the tutelage of some of the greats of traditional Southern music he quickly mastered seven different instruments, became an insightful and powerful singer of traditional songs and honed an ear for a good story.

From this series of chance beginnings John McCutcheon has become what one Australian paper called the most overwhelming folk performer in the English language. His songwriting, rich in detail and broad in scope, have created a catalog of hundreds of songs covered by performers throughout the world. Critics reserve their most lavish praise for McCutcheons mastery of the hammer dulcimer, an instrument on which he is widely recognized as a world master. He has pushed the bounds of the instrument, exposing it to country, rock and jazz audiences. His recent successes showcasing the dulcimer in symphonic settings have brought this ancient instrument -- the inspiration for the invention of the piano -- full circle back to classical audiences.

Equally at home in the recording studio as the concert hall, John has recorded more than 24 albums in the past three decades, earning five Grammy nominations. Throughout his career he has been presented every imaginable award in the independent record industry, produced documentary and educational recordings, written for numerous publications, authored childrens books and brought joy to listeners from Seattle to Sydney.

Event submitted by Eventful.com on behalf of programs.