"Looking for the Moon" marks the first new solo studio CD for adults since 1994 by Tom Paxton, one of the greatest folksingers and songwriters of this century. On this CD, Paxton presents thirteen original songs emphasizing personal themes that encompass modern day life and the current cultural climate. Many compositions concern the inevitable and insidious march of aging and progress and their effects on average citizens. "The Chisholm Trail became the road to Disneyland," rues Tom in his modern day cowboy song, "My Pony Knows the Way." Small communities crumble beneath economic hard times in "Early Snow" and "My Oklahoma Lullaby." Nature’s curative powers are given their due in "My River" and "Come Away with Me," and the tides of love carry the tender "Me and a Couple of Angels," "Marry Me Again" and "Easy Now, Easy." "Homebound Train" is a heartbreakingly poignant account of a ten-year-old boy coping with the death of his father. An early version of the CD’s most topical song was a computer-age hit as the most downloaded song, for free, on the efolkmusic.com website – "The Bravest" is Tom’s tribute to the heroes of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, particularly the firefighters who risked (and lost) their lives in their rescue efforts at the stricken World Trade Center.
Like Paxton’s last two "grown-up" solo records, "Looking for the Moon" was produced by veteran producer/musician Jim Rooney, who has also produced CDs for John Prine and Nanci Griffith, the latter of whom adds backing vocals to two tracks here. Anne Hills, a frequent Paxton partner, contributes beautiful soprano vocals behind Tom on five songs. Other supporting musicians include dobro-player Al Perkins (previously with Emmylou Harris’s Nash Ramblers, the Flying Burrito Brothers, and Stephen Stills’ Manassas), guitarist Mark Howard, who has backed Iris Dement, Nanci Griffith and John Hartford, pianist Mark Wasner, who has written hits for Vince Gill and Garth Brooks, and relative newcomer Tim Crouch, who boosts the Nashville-recorded CD’s country tinges with his nimble mandolin and fiddle.
