Even though I posted a couple of names, (one just for Michaelr), one COULD ask, "Who's got the best EAR, or taste, to pick the the 'best' voice in folk, or any style"...also, the MATERIAL has a whole lot to do with it. Certain voices just work better for one song, over another. The criteria I use, when using another vocalist, is can that person COMMUNICATE the lyrics, and do so believably. I just did a concert, where I used a female vocalist, and told her, (because the lyrics were strong), to just 'ride' the lyrics, pronounce every thing distinctly, and the song would 'go over'...which it did, so well, that there were people in the audience with tears running down their cheeks.

A few years back, I used to have breakfast, every weekday, with a man named Giorgio Tozzi , and his wife, Marti, (or Marty). Aside from his credits, he, and his wife were vocal coaches for Neil Diamond, Robert Plant, Frank Sinatra, and Barba Streisand, among others. Upon talking 'shop' with him, he said (which is etched in stone, as far as we were concerned), "The human voice is the ONLY instrument on the planet that pronounces WORDS, so, PRONOUNCE THE WORDS, DISTINCTLY, HOLDING ONLY THE VOWELS, AND 'BITING OFF' THE HARD CONSONANTS, AND DO NOT 'HIDE' BEHIND STYLE!!!!" This advice has been priceless, so I share it with you,(if you have ears to hear). If you take this to heart, and with discipline, employ it, you will be the winner. Also, Marty, (wife) threw in, "Sometimes male vocalists will try to sound 'breathy' to sound sexy, DON'T DO IT! IT'S NOT, IN FACT, JUST THE OPPOSITE"
This advice, especially for recording, is an absolute!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey, you can't say I didn't do a lot of you a favor!

GfS