Under-rated performers.

Subject: Under-rated performers.
From: Acorn4
Date: 20 May 08 - 06:03 PM

I'm sure we must all know musicians and singers who we think haven't had the recognition they deserve. I'm going to start the ball rolling with a handful of names from my own neck of the woods.

Pete Morton: -excellent songwriter, but has he ever been nominated for a songwriting award?

Roger Wilson: - a musician's musician -has played with the likes of Martin Carthy yet still relatively unknown.

Steve Thomason: - another excellent writer, some of his own songs could easily be mistaken for authentic traditional- much respected yet hasn't recorded.

Mick Holditch:- has moved out of the Midlands but saw him recently and was reminded of what a talented guitar player he is.

Any more for any more?

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Capo da Monty
Date: 20 May 08 - 06:12 PM

Jack Hudson:- Admired by many of his professional contemporaries as a brilliant songwriter and guitarist.

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 20 May 08 - 06:58 PM

Acorn4 - but at least Steve Thomason's songs are being recorded by others (Whaley and Fletcher...)

Kitty

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: GUEST,Dan Schatz
Date: 20 May 08 - 07:03 PM

Here in the US, Anne Dodson immediately comes to mind. She is a fine songwriter, guitar and dulcimer player, singer, arranger and (as members of the Quasimodal Chorus could attest) conductor. Alas, she is no longer touring regularly, but if you get the chance to pick up any of her albums, do.

Dan

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: catspaw49
Date: 20 May 08 - 07:12 PM

Robin and Linda Williams........they have their loyalist but they should have a much larger fan base.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: van lingle
Date: 20 May 08 - 08:56 PM

Eilis Kennedy, my favorite Irish singer at present. You can sample her Time to Sail CD at CDBaby

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 20 May 08 - 09:20 PM

Tinky Winky

Without him the Telly Tubbies were nothing......

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Beer
Date: 20 May 08 - 09:42 PM

van,
I just went and had a listen on You Tube. Very good voices. Most enjoyable.
Beer (adrien)

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Beer
Date: 20 May 08 - 09:48 PM

Good stuff Spaw. Really good. Love You Tube.

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Beer
Date: 20 May 08 - 10:04 PM

Here is a young group that is up and coming out of the New York area. Crescent and Frost. They do a great job on a Supreme's hit "Stop in The Name Of Love" on You Tube and Check out My Space for a number called "Katie"
Just thought I would share this.

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: GUEST,Jeff
Date: 21 May 08 - 12:05 AM

There's a group of songwriters from the Lincoln Ave scene of the 1970's Marty Peifer,(prononuced Piefer), Harry Waller, Al Day, Mike Jordan, Sally Fingerette, Mick Scott, Buddy Mondlock, Fred Campbeau, Chuck Aulger, Tom Dundee, Betsy Redhed, Jody Alis, John Benischek, Jim Craig, Andrew Calhoun, Thom Bishop. All gifted. All completely different. Alas, there was a compilation LP, but not really reflective of the music. The Famous Potatoes(w/John Burns...son of Jethro Burns of 'Homer and Jethro) were contracted to provide musical support and ended up over powering more than a few tracks. Was not what I would describe as a 'communal effort'. The final product didn't reflect original intent at all. But, if you can locate recordings of these artists from the 70's WFMT-Chicago being the most likly source I'm sure you'll be impressed w/t array and sophistication of the talent(s).

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: topical tom
Date: 21 May 08 - 01:00 AM

Someone I get a kick out of and I'm not sure he's as recognized as he might be is Roy Zimmerman.
   
   Here he sings That Is The War On Terror

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 21 May 08 - 02:17 AM

Which is worse under-rated or not rated at all?

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 21 May 08 - 07:52 AM

Terry Yarnell - Bob Blair
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Rasener
Date: 21 May 08 - 08:11 AM

Gareth Barry

I am not sure about the use of under-rated bit, as i find that hard to quantify. I prefer to look at it in another way and say who I like from a songwriters point of view.

We had 2 excellent songwriters at Faldingworth Live last Saturday who I think are as good as anybody on the scene at the moment.

They are George Papavgeris and Duncan McFarlane

Mind you we have a couple of good ens coming up for our next 2 events. Allan Taylor and our very own Lincolnshire born and bred John "Fiddlers Green" Conolly.

I'll get me noat

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Paco Rabanne
Date: 21 May 08 - 08:27 AM

Me!

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: topical tom
Date: 21 May 08 - 10:01 AM

Another underrated performer:Dick McCormick sings The Hippies Song

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: topical tom
Date: 21 May 08 - 10:04 AM

Sorry about the spelling-Dick McCormack.

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: The Sandman
Date: 21 May 08 - 10:04 AM

Jim Carroll.

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: selby
Date: 21 May 08 - 10:43 AM

All the young ones who are not on a degree course or a protege of someone. Who play and dance because they like our music and have no other motivators and are having a bloody good time.
Keith

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Ghost of Electricity (inactive)
Date: 21 May 08 - 11:06 AM

Jack Hardy, Rod MacDonald, Michael Smith, come to mind.

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: DonMeixner
Date: 21 May 08 - 11:28 AM

Hey Spaw

Good to see Robin and Linda mentioned. The Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper of the current country stalwarts. I have known them since the college coffee house scare of the 70's. Robin is a great writer.

I'd add Timm Grimm to the list

Don

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 21 May 08 - 03:04 PM

Oh Cap'n
You're only saying that 'cause it's true
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: nutty
Date: 21 May 08 - 03:48 PM

Chris Searle .... alter ego of Sid Kipper and the REAL Les Barker, both performers well known for their funny stuff but not for the wonderful sensitive songs and poems they are both capable of producing.

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 21 May 08 - 04:25 PM

Nutty - that should be Chris Sugden, I think (who wrote Confidence!)as the alter ego of Sid Kipper.

Kitty

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Michael
Date: 21 May 08 - 04:26 PM

Nutty - Chris Sugden?

Mike

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 21 May 08 - 04:29 PM

Not to be confused with Chris Serle who (like Grant Baynham) appeared on That's Life!

Kitty

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Peter T.
Date: 21 May 08 - 05:25 PM

The Beatles from about 1963-1967. In spite of the accolades, what happened to them is still hard to wrap one's mind around.

yours,

Peter T.

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 21 May 08 - 05:47 PM

Jim Carroll. Especially in Manchester some years ago - rumor has it!

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: GUEST,stu
Date: 21 May 08 - 06:46 PM

Hows about this guy?

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: nutty
Date: 21 May 08 - 07:48 PM

Thanks Kitty ... Yes I did mean Chris Sugden

Mike .... if you haven't heard any of his serious stuff - you should

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: squeezyjohn
Date: 21 May 08 - 09:06 PM

I can't believe it hasn't been said before, and he won't thank me - but:

Pete Coe

I'm sure everyone here who has seen him doesn't under-rate him at all - but the lack of widespread coverage of such a talented singer & musician never fails to astound me.

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Rasener
Date: 22 May 08 - 02:08 AM

Good job I have Pete Coe at Faldingworth Live on Feb 14th 2009 then :-)

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: old salty
Date: 22 May 08 - 05:18 AM

Acorn,Iam with you on pete Morton his lyrics are very good,
    I'll see him at Pickering Folk Festival,yaaahoo!
    Alan Bell
    Pete Coe
    johnny Handle
                      some great songs from the above.
                                             
                                              salty x

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: GUEST,Doc John
Date: 22 May 08 - 07:41 AM

Many of those performers on the Library of Congress recordings: you can't even get any information about them on the search engines.
Doc John

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Barry Finn
Date: 22 May 08 - 07:54 AM

What a much nicer thread, giving notice & praise to performers that don't get the light shone on them that they deserve, rather than the opposing thread ("over-rated performers) that only slags those that posters feel a negitive need to toss into the darkness.

Now that I've otten that off my chest there are a few who in my opinion deserve some limelight.
A young twenty something from West Virginia, Elizabeth LaParelle who does some incredable singing of her regional mountain music & hopefully will be appearing at 'Old Songs' in 2009.
Canadians Jim Payne & David Francy who both are writing some wonderful songs. In addition to them the above mentioned 'catters'
George Papavgeris and Duncan McFarlane along with our Andrew McKay.

Barry

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Rasener
Date: 22 May 08 - 07:57 AM

Jez lowe
Steve Tilston

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 22 May 08 - 08:14 AM

What defines under-rated? There are some artists above, Jez Lowe springs to mind seeing as he is immediately above, who are very highly rated on the national folk scene but no-one outside the circuit has ever heard of them. What about local artists like Salford's Pete Ryder (Now emmigrated to Bolton!) who, according to Martin Carthy, is a very good guitarist. Locally we also know him a talented songrwiter, brilliant performer and sit-down song and dance man (one of his!) as well. Outside the area though very few people remember him. What about people like Mike Harding who is now nationaly reknowned as a presenter and funnyman but prior to that he was a well respected and very good performer on the local fiolk scene.

How do we rate the under rated? Popularity? Ability? I had a whole list of people I would have included in the the list but once I started to think about it I couldn't really include many!

Help!

Dave.

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 22 May 08 - 08:17 AM

Or those often unknown singers and who run clubs like Swinton!

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 22 May 08 - 08:20 AM

Thay are that unknown that not even I know who they are, Les

:D

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Rasener
Date: 22 May 08 - 08:31 AM

Dave
I think thats my point. How do you determine who is under-rated and why.

I have only put on performers who I think are very good songwriters. The underated doesn't come into it.

Maybe the title should have been "Songwriters who you really like"

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 22 May 08 - 02:39 PM

Exactly, Villan (Another Les isn't it?) Not only how do you determine who is under-rated but who rates these things anyway?

The title is, however, 'performers'. These could include non-song writers as well. I suppose we need clarification of Acorn4's measure?

Cheers

Dave

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Acorn4
Date: 22 May 08 - 02:49 PM

I really meant it to cover all performers - three of the ones I quoted at the beginning are songwriters, though two of these also perform a range of traditional material, and one is a guitarist who also sings.

I think I really meant "people on the folk scene".

For the benefit of US contributors, Matraca Berg is hardly heard of over here, but I really like a lot of what I hear from her -is she well known in the States?

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 22 May 08 - 04:02 PM

When I think of "under-rated", I am thinking of artists who are not known by a wide audience on the folk scene. Most are singer-songwriters.   Coming to mind are people like Danny Schmidt, Ellis, Antje Duvekot, Pat Wictor, Thea Hopkins, Amy Carol Webb, Tom Breiding, Lea, Joe Jencks, Randall Williams and Anthony Da Costa. Some are starting to recognized, and hopefully we can revist this thread in a year and most will be known!

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 22 May 08 - 04:20 PM

"Jim Carroll. Especially in Manchester some years ago - rumor has it!"
You've been talking to your Aunt Agnes Les!
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Cool Beans
Date: 22 May 08 - 05:12 PM

Matraca Berg got a phenomeally great review for her first album from some prestigious (or at least widely read)critic but remains virtually unknown here in the US. Having never heard her, I can't comment on her talent.

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 22 May 08 - 05:44 PM

It still leaves the question of under-rated against what measure, Acorn. Pete Morton, for instance, is very highly rated in certain areas - He had his own Radio 2 show for a while - About festivals if I remember rightly. I can't honestly say I have heard the others so I wouldn't know if they are under-rated or not. The suspision is that because not everyone has heard of them, you would consider them to be under-rated. Yes? In which case I could quote you a few artists who you are not likely to have heard and say that they are under-rated as well. The thing is all we are doing by quoting these under-rated artists is telling each other who our favourite regional or obscure acts are. Nothing wrong with that but don't expect anyone in the national media to take you up on it. Out of the hundreds of under-rated acts we will only ever get a small handfull who make it big. And then become the subjects of the over-rated acts thread...:-(

Cheers

Dave

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Ghost of Electricity (inactive)
Date: 23 May 08 - 09:47 AM

"The Beatles from about 1963-1967."

Underrated?

They were probably the most acclaimed pop and rock band of the 20th century.

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: GUEST,Jeff
Date: 23 May 08 - 11:54 PM

"The Beatles from 1963-67"...I get that. It wasn't until I became an accomplished musician in the folk/bluegrass/celtic acoustic world and did a 'forced study'(for a gig) of some Beatles songs from that period did I REALLY appreciate how MUCH they were taken for granted. Then I went crazy and holed myself up for about 2 months and learned every Beatles song I could find. Then it was on to Gene Pitney from there. I think he was very underrated as a songwriter/producer/singer/pop star, etc. and was pleased to see his inclusion in the R & R Hall of fame.

Another VERY underrated musician was Ike Turner. Regardless, of what was later revealed he was a phenomenal keyboard, guitar, bass, percussionist and arranger. I have a close friend who's playing w/Mark Sallings and the Famous Unknowns who said Ike Turner was one of the best 'musical minds' he's ever worked with.

Cowboy Jack Clement...incredible performer, songwriter and troublemaker...gotta love 'im.

One more...Sonny Bono. In addtion to being a gifted comedian he wrote the Searcher's hit 'Needles and Pins' and, of course 'I Got You, Babe. He took alot of bashing and worried about it all the way to the bank. RIP, Mr Bono.

Subject: RE: Under-rated performers.
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 24 May 08 - 01:42 AM

"They were probably the most acclaimed pop and rock band of the 20th century."
Even if they were crap
Jim Carroll