John P - there are no awards for agreeing with me. My argument is not with you. have you heard Will Fly's fabulous piece of work dissecting Bix beiderbeck's Singing the Blues and playing it on 4 string guitar. Of course- like Will, like myself, you have the perfect right to play whatever turns you on. Its a free country.

However - I really do feel that folk music is in the shit in a number of terrible ways and it is moving further and further away from the common voice of the English people. The more the middle classes annexe it and make the techniques more recondite, the tradition more coherent and deeper - the worse the situation gets.

That is what I honestly feel. My sincere belief. Who knows - perhaps you will be the artist that redeems this music and return us to the situation where people are queueing round the block to get into folk clubs?

I hope so.

On the other hand - perhaps I am wrong. certainly i am in a minority on this forum. i accept that. If I were you - Ishould continue doing what makes you happy - life is very short - enjoy it as best you can. You ,in your small corner; I, in mine.