The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #98509 Message #2287271
Posted By: TheSnail
13-Mar-08 - 08:39 AM
Thread Name: Folk Process - is it dead?
Subject: RE: Folk Process - is it dead?
I've had a browse through the "Folk clubs - what is being sung " thread and, as far as I can see, (I'm not very good at lists) it consists largely of traditional songs with a proportion of songs written "in the tradition". There are a few oddities like Led Zeppelin and the Grateful Dead but, for the record, 'Blue Suede Shoes' and 'Yellow Submarine' are not mentioned. In over thirty five years, I have never heard them in a folk club.
Jim Carroll's response was -
Have been out of the club scene for some time. This thread has convinced me that I have not missed much.
In this thread he says -
I'll settle for an occasional evening of a good mixture of traditional songs and newer ones made using traditional poetic forms and musical styles, sung to a reasonable standard by people who sound that the enjoy and understand them.
That is the current folk scene that I know, on top of which, I have seen at least six out of Jim's list locally (Sussex, England). Most recently RoisÃn White. Two 45 minute sets of unaccompanied singing that kept a packed club spellbound. His nightmare scenario of navel contemplating guitarists singing pop songs may exist somewhere but I don't see it. They certainly don't dominate the scene that I know about.
When did you last go to a folk club, Jim? Drag yourself away from Taggart and get out more.
Apropos of nothing, for those who don't know, my name is Bryan Creer. One of the versions of Barbara Allen was collected from Ellen Creer of Castletown, Isle of Man. I haven't tracked down whether she's a relative.