Okay my thoughts on this lot:-

They were all very exciting. Even before you'd seen them - there was a frisson of excitement surrounding them. I doubt anybody lost money booking theose guys.

Davy i saw a few times and I heard his records, but I never really enjoyed his work. Some great ideas - like writing a piece for Lennie Tristano - but I rarely liked how the music sounded -not on record, not live. Just last week though. I saw little piece of film of him on the Nick Drake under review DVD, and it was music of great beauty and intensity. It was a side of him I never saw - I don't think Cousins /doss house atmosphere suited him. he deserved better than playing in pubs.

Bert - the thing I loved about his playing was how he kept giving the genre the slip and being himself.
For example Come Back Babby - I'd heard Snooks Eaglin, Dave Van Ronk, Gerry Lockran, that jazz guy who used to sing with Count Basie have a shot at this song. But it had never occurred to me anyone could take it down a chicane into modern jazz, until Bert. Because - Dixieland, first cousin of folk blues you could understand - but those little voicings and hints that say 'I'm cool, I've heard Gershwin, Brubeck and Miles, I'm urban and I OWN folk blues man!' - that is genius!

Similarly that thing in Bruton Town, where he breaks off from a courtly shuffle though a Somerset tale of aristocratic mayhem into a lead break that is so reminiscent of a call and responce field holler. You can almost hear the keening relatives of the young man.

John - I love him when he sings. I'm not keen on the instrumentals, which are clever. But I think I prefer people to be stupid but interesting.

why the folk police never raided them, I will never know.