"I treat traditional texts as sacrosanct"
Even corrupt ones - antiqqarianism gone barmy?
"otherwise I'm strictly a trad roots man"
It really doesn't show in your singing - your privelige of course
"I am a storyteller,"
Neither dowes this.
How do you justify using instruments in an almost completely unnaccompanied tradition?
You cannot dictate to people how they treat texts if you are going to discard the traditional forms as you choose to do.
I do not criticise you for anything you do; I just object to your criticising others for doing similar things.
Jim Carroll