Tom Paxton, part of the American musical landscape since 1960, has had enough touring.
But he saved one of his final gigs for The Minstrel Acoustic Concert Series, and by the end of Saturday’s show in Chatham, he seemed happy with his decision.
“Mr. Agranoff, permit me to say, that what you have assembled here is what it’s all about,” Paxton told Mike Agranoff, who has been booking Minstrel concerts for nearly the entire 40 years of the series. “I love being part of this. This is what I always wanted. This is what I wanted from the beginning.”
What Paxton, 77, got was a packed house of attentive and appreciative fans at the Presbyterian Church.
Video: Tom Paxton joins Folk Project members in song:
His openers were Folk Project regulars: Agranoff, Christine DeLeon and Jean Rohe, accompanied by Liam Robinson.
Paxton joined them (see video above) for an cappella rendition of a traditional folksong, Time Has Made a Change in Me.
Plenty of laughs were sprinkled throughout the evening, too, starting with the obligatory emergency exits speech by one of the organizers.
“If we have to leave in a hurry, just take your time,” he advised.
Paxton aimed a droll one-liner at Donald Trump, and added a vaguely naughty verse to I’ve Been Working on the Railroad:
Video: Tom Paxton’s Railroad Ditty:
Be on the lookout for a couple more videos. And check out our Tom Paxton podcast:
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
As Paxton prepares to take things easy, the Folk Project is gearing up for The Minstrel’s next four decades.
They begin on July 31, 2015, with an 8 pm show by Silk City and Rick Ilowite at the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship. Admission is $9; children 12 and under are free. At 21 Normandy Heights Road in Morris Township.
Thanks, Kevin, for the great pictures, and your continuing support!