By helping launch the Newport Folk Festival, she must have had an influence on Dylan's career. Maybe he got the idea for the "Masters of War" tune from hearing her rendition of "Nottamun Town" (would be cool if that were so).

Also going into the LIMHF next month is the legendary folk/rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. Recently I was listening to Rich Warren's Midnight Special show on XM satellite radio and he played a "Scarborough Fair" themed set - first Carly Simon's version, then Jean Ritchie and Oscar Brand singing "Cambric Shirt", then Mary O'Hara's "The Elfin Knight" and finally Martin Carthy's rendition of the original song (which I understand inspired Paul Simon when he heard Carthy perform it in England).

Speaking of Brand, he's scheduled to appear at the Takoma Park Folk Festival (just outside Washington, DC) on Sept. 16 as part of a tribute to the late Joe Glazer. I make it a point to try and catch the legends when they come to the DC area, as was the case four years ago when Jean Ritchie performed at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall. Prior to that, I'd heard her on various folk anthology albums so it was definitely a highlight of the summer to attend that concert. Congrats to her on this honor.