As a performer, Paton was hailed by critic John Greenway as "the best interpreter of traditional singing in the English-speaking world, with the possible but not probable exception of Ewan MacColl.
"[1] As a song-collector and field-recorder, Paton recorded folk singers in both the US and the UK, including Jeannie Robertson (assisting Hamish Henderson, a noted Scots folklorist), Jean Redpath, Horton Barker, and Frank Proffitt, whose song "Tom Dooley" later became a million-selling record by the Kingston Trio.
One of his obituaries notes Paton's wide-ranging work on the label's releases, including not only in production and engineering but also in photography.
[4] Sandy and Caroline Paton also wrote liner notes for many of their label's recordings, contributing "a wealth of cultural knowledge" to the printed materials accompanying these albums.
[6] For their accomplishments in performing, recording, and preserving folk music, in 1993 Sandy and Caroline were named "official State Troubadours" by the Connecticut Commission on the Arts.