The most odd thing happened on Wednesday night. I turned up at a folk club I go to fairly regular and only 4 people turned up from the more usual 10+. They turned up late and did not want to be the first ones to start singing so no singing took place. We chatted for an hour or so and the question of some other clubs popped up as to how they deal (or don't deal) with folk songs. Not so much the clubs but some of the people that attend them.

For instance, one club I used to go to had a chap who used to moan every time someone sung a John Denver song, complaining it was not folk music, and then would sing a Country & Western song himself. Yet another club is talking of stopping people singing more than one "cowboy" song. Some of my fellow chatters that evening gave examples of bad times they have had when people have moaned about them singing something outside what some consider folk songs.

I go to one folk club that has been going for three decades. All sorts of songs get sung there. Pop, punk, jazz, blues, C&W, folk... etc.. Now they must be doing something right there. There are never less than 10 singers and at least 20 audience. Yet another club I frequent has such an open door policy and a likewise large attendance of performers and audience. These are relaxed places where you will see all sorts of instruments played in all sorts of ways. No one chunners on if someone sings 'outside' the folk tile.

Surely folk music encompasses so many kinds of songs and types of music? So many well loved 'folk songs' are actually written in the last three decades, so longevity does not have to be a criteria.

I always refer to Louis Armstrong's definition of "All music is folk music, I ain't never heard no horse sing a song". In fact he came out with so many good musical quotes...

"What we play is life"

"We all do 'do, re, mi,' but you have got to find the other notes yourself."

"I never tried to prove nothing, just wanted to give a good show. My life has always been my music, it's always come first, but the music ain't worth nothing if you can't lay it on the public. The main thing is to live for that audience, 'cause what you're there for is to please the people."

And to paraphrase something he said about jazz music "If you have to ask what folk (jazz) music is, you'll never know"

What I require of folk music is for it to touch my emotions in some way. What I call it does not matter. What it does to me is. Folk is a big enough title to encompass so very much and not all of it has to be just right for me. It's good that it touches others in different ways too.

Traditionally I love music. 'Nuff said ;-)

mp

mp