John, I just found this thread -- I hope you are still around.

I formed a Ballad Group some years ago in Berkeley, CA, specifically for a place to sing traditional ballads (Child, broadsides, American murder ballads (e.g "Pretty Polly") and blues ballads ("Po' Laz'rus," "Delia"). The group is still running, meets once a month in Berkeley. Our most regular singers are myself (Sharyn Dimmick), Elaine Belkind, Mary O'Brien, Bill Moore (aka "toadfrog"), Toni Gross and Malcolm Rigby. We also include Robert Rodriguez of New York City, who should be on your list, Marlene McCall, Sylvia Herold, Ed Silberman and John F. Garcia. Rarely attending, but still on our list, are Robin Dolan, Richard Adrianowicz (aka "radriano") and Carol Denney.

There is a young singer in San Francisco called Amelia Hogan, who sings ballads.

I myself have been singing ballads since childhood -- Scottish, American, English and Afro-American, as has Sadie Damascus. I learn my ballads from recordings, old and new, from other singers and "by osmosis" from the ballad group.

Jon Bartlett and Rika Ruebsaat of Vancouver, B.C. are great resources (as well as great singers) who have a ballad archive and know many B.C. ballad singers.

There is a man in Fresno, CA, with some kind of ballad index or project: David somebody-or-other (I only met him once, but someone might know who I mean)

Sharyn