Big Al, Steve Hicks is a great player and a damn good accompanist, but he could if he wanted earn a living as an Instrumentalist, he is that good. Richard Smith actually went West, Nashville to be exact, saw him only a few months ago. If you read my original comment I merely point out that Folk and Open Tuning is limiting as a direction for instrumentalists. As someone who started out playing Folk and then graduated to Jazz, I happen to think it's a valid point.