My dissenting opinion.

I frankly do not agree with Bert Jansch's suggestion. As a tradition, folk in its various forms is much older than any of us or our family trees. Renaming things seems like too much a 90's revisionist thing (to me) and will not change anything but increase the confusion felt by newcomers to the tradition. BJ is an incredibly gifted musician, but that doesn't mean we should accept his every utterance as worthy. In the end it will remain folk because it is folk, and history tells us it is so.

To provoke discussion about this matter is not in itself a bad thing, but I'm not sure that's the point. I'm suspicious that BJ was implying more about his own discomfort with his tradition or situation than with a general or universal sense of discomfort with the tradition. As good as he is, he doesn't speak for the whole tradition.

As for the image, so what? Don't subscribe to it. The sweater image is not very prevalent where many folk live and practice. Every form has its image, even cliches, but all you have to do is pick up a folk periodical or attend a festival to see that the sweater image doesn't reign everywhere, it's just a part of the larger picture.

My suggestion? Bert Jansch was not on the money this time.

My $0.02 Cdn funds, Mooh.