In many ways, the 'definition' of folk--not something I care to tackle--influences the responses people give to questions. When it is a directly-related "history" question, things can be fairly unequivocal and answers are right, wrong or might be. The pursuit of scholarship most often precludes side trips down Flame Alley. However, the fragmentation of music into categories (is House of the Rising Sun by the Animals still a folk song?) causes people who work in specialty areas to focus IN those areas. And we got lotsa areas out there.

I always thought Martin was a good guy, and I look forward to hearing him play sometime in the next year or so. My own musical quests tend to lean more to 'folk/rock' kinda stuff, but I love good music regardless how it's been actegorized, and nothing beats a great performance by any master of his/her art/craft.

Good thread, Martin.