Excellent points Phil and Frank!

Frank - I think artists are starting to "get" the idea of doing their homework. For many years, "Folk" was a four letter word, but I am seeing a number of artists who are exploring the roots and explaining to their audience where the music evolved from. I'm also noticing that in recent years, artists are dipping into the traditional songbag and finding songs that show the relevance.

In hopes of continuing to stimulate this conversation, I would like to share my thoughts on the "folk scene", as I see it, here in Northern New Jersey. The area is NYC's bedroom, and as such, the music seems to be a blend of urban and rural.   There are a number of venues in the area, and I am the president of one - The Hurdy Gurdy Folk Music Club.   

The Hurdy Gurdy has been in existence since 1981 and it was started to give local residents an opportunity to experience concerts similar to those being produced by the Folk Project with the Minstrel Show in Central NJ.   The Hurdy Gurdy audience has been loyal and the tastes have been folk revival era with a touch of contemporary.   Artists like Tommy Makem, Christine Lavin, and Cherish the Ladies were popular performers.   Traditional music would not draw well for us.   We presented Mike Seeger to an audience of about 60 people and other traditional performers would also draw small audiences - and we would lose money.    I've tried to diversify the lineup, brining in some newer names that would draw crowds to help us offset the losses when we try to bring traditional music to the audience.

Other venues in the area focus primarily on contemporary singer-songwriters, and from what I've seen, they are drawing well. Of special note is Sanctuary Concert, although they are a bit further south.

There is a marvelous organization called Strings & Sings as well as some members of the late Lil Appel's weekly sings who get together monthly to sing in each others homes.