I keep thinking of Dave Van Ronk's comment in his autobiog, The Mayor of MacDougal Street:   "in vinyl veritas." No matter how good you might be, if you don't have a record out, nobody except folks in your immediate vicinity know you're there!

I imagine there were (are) a whole host of excellent folk musicians who were kicking around in the 60s who may have had avid followings in their own communities, but who the rest of the country never heard of.

Case in point, Ray Boguslav. Good singer, inventive guitarist. I swiped several good songs off his record, "Songs from a Village Garret." But I never would have heard of him if he hadn't had at least one record out.

I sang all over the Pacific Northwest during that time, and I knew a lot of terrific singers who nobody outside this area seems to know anything about. No records. Since my voice is still in half-way decent shape, and since good quality home recording is now possible, along with distribution through the internet, I intend to remedy the situation for myself, at least. I'm about to start recording for a CD or two. Or three. Or. . . .

Don Firth