Things I Notice Now: Anne Hills Sings the Songs of Tom Paxton

Personnel: Anne Hills (vocals); Scott Petito (guitar, dobro, piano, organ).
Audio Mixer: Scott Petito.
Recording information: Bias Studios, Springfield, VA; NRS Studios, Catskill, NY; Puck Productions, Santa Monica, CA.
Photographers: Rozanne Gewaar; Bill Spence.
For most, Tom Paxton is one of those '60s singer/songwriters who had a couple of big songs. But those were the merest tip of a very large iceberg, as Paxton's longtime friend and admirer Anne Hills knows. To celebrate the man's 75th birthday she's released this, a personal selection that has the approval of Paxton, who appears on four of the tracks, making them into duets. It's a strategy that works well, and Hills doesn't copy the original arrangements, but makes them very much her own, whether with the jazzy touches of "The Things I Notice Now" or the brass that colors "Dogs at Midnight," a song about black lung. This collection is a reminder that there's great depth and variety to Paxton's songs, and his oeuvre deserves further exploration. Hills not only offers a great birthday present but also a way into the music, and the elegiac "Every Time" is a wonderful closer. ~ Chris Nickson