There is folk music to be heard in Los angles, George, but it's a little hard to find. See the message from jns above. When I was there a couple years back, I campe across a couple in Long Beach who had house concerts once or twice a month - I heard Cindy Mangsen and Steve Gillette there.

Oh, click here for one more recent source I found, with information about the California Traditional Music Society in Los Angeles. Have a good time, George. See if you can recruit some Southern California Mudcatteers for us.
-Joe Offer-