Tom Rush has been performing music for more than 60 years and shows little sign of slowing down. On Nov. 16, he’ll be at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara, on a co-bill with Judy Collins.

Tickets are available here.

Rush was part of the legendary Cambridge folk music scene, with his early albums containing a mix of folk, blues and country music.

A few years later, his milestone 1968 album, “The Circle Game,” introduced songs from up-and-comers Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne and James Taylor to a wider audience, and included Rush’s “No Regrets,” which has been covered by artists ranging from the Walker Brothers to Emmylou Harris to Midge Ure. His latest album was 2024’s wonderful “Gardens Old, Flowers New.”

Rush talked to Noozhawk on Oct. 31 about the upcoming show.  

Jeff Moehlis: What can people look forward to at the upcoming concert here in Santa Barbara?

Tom Rush: Well, Judy Collins, of course, is fabulous. For my set, I’ll be doing some of the old favorites, of course, because that’s why people come to shows, to hear the old favorites, the songs they know and love.

I’ll also be doing some songs from the latest album. I think my latest album actually is my best yet. I wrote all the songs, and I think there’s some good ones in there. So, I’ll be trying out some of them. Plus, you know, maybe a brand-new one or two. I’ve got one that I’m going to try out. It’s kind of a love song called “Takes a Whole Lot of Liquor to Like Her.”

JM: [laughs] Nice.

TR: Seems to be a crowd-pleaser.

JM: I’m curious, do you remember when you first met Judy Collins and what your first impressions were?

TR: We go way back, but I don’t remember when I first met her. She was part of the New York folk scene, and I was up in the Boston/Cambridge scene. There was a lot of interplay between the two scenes, but I don’t remember when I first met her.

I remember that when I wrote my song called “No Regrets,” which is the one that’s been recorded by the most other artists, I think the first person I played it for was Judy in her apartment in New York.  

JM: Do you have a favorite song that Judy sings, one that every night you’re just looking forward to?

TR: There is of course “Both Sides Now,” written by Joni Mitchell. I remember Joni telling me that she was thinking of me when she wrote it, but he gave it to Judy [laughs]. Oh, okay. All right. This doesn’t hurt my feelings at all.

JM: Well, of course, Judy does a beautiful version of it.

TR: Oh, she does. She does. Stunning.

JM: I do want to ask you about one of your older albums, probably your best-known album, “The Circle Game.” When you look back, what are your reflections on that particular album?

TR: Well, that album got me accused by Rolling Stone of ushering in the singer-songwriter era, because it introduced Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and Jackson Browne to the world.

The fact that these three brilliant writers were all being introduced on one project got people’s attention. I wasn’t trying to introduce anything or usher in anything. I just needed some good songs.

And along come Joni, Jackson and James out of the blue with these stunningly gorgeous songs. So there was no question about it. I covered those tunes. And my own song “No Regrets” was on that album. But I wasn’t looking to discover or usher in or any of that stuff. I just needed some good songs.

JM: My last question for you, and this is just because today is Halloween, do you have any Halloween memories that you’re willing to share, maybe from your childhood or gigs you did on Halloween or anything?

TR: I remember I was living in New Hampshire, and my kids were Halloween age, and they all got all gussied up and went out with their friends to trick-or-treat.

I got my hair dyed green in spikes, and my mustache was purple, and I put on a tuxedo. Oh, and my fingernails were purple. And I was hanging out with the kids in downtown, wherever it was, and I thought, you know, I need a beer.

I went into the bar to get a beer, and this woman comes running up and says, “Aren’t you Tom Rush?” [both laugh] What do I have to do?

For the full interview with Tom Rush, click here.

Jeff Moehlis is a Noozhawk contributing writer and a professor of mechanical engineering at UC Santa Barbara. Upcoming show recommendations, advice from musicians, interviews and more are available on his web site, music-illuminati.com. The opinions expressed are his own.