Brilliant lyricist and storyteller, virtuoso singer, fiddler, and guitarist, and undisputed master of the hammered dulcimer, John McCutcheon runs the gamut from kid's songs to protest songs to updates of his Appalachian and Midwestern roots mixed with stunning originals.

In the 1960s John traded the university classroom for the front porches, union halls, and churches of the Appalachians. Under the tutelage of the greats of traditional Southern music he mastered seven different instruments, became an insightful and powerful singer of traditional songs, and honed an ear for a good story.

While he always draws upon a vision of America where traditional music, songwriting, and social activism all meet, John's most recent album, Mightier Than the Sword (Appalsongs), adds a further dimension by featuring songs co-written with and inspired by a wide spectrum of authors and poets, from Barbara Kingsolver to Pablo Neruda. "This album," says John, "is an extended love song to books. To authors. To writing."

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