I was just 13 years old when I discovered the world of traditional folk music. My first mentor, Bill Higley, was an old on air radio singing partner of "Haywire Mac, in San Francisco. Bill told me to study Burl Ives, both for his guitar work and for a vocal phrasing.

His guitar accompaniments were perfectly planned to as to NOT get in the way of the song. His diction was very good. But most of all, his vocal phrasing was simply perfect. Even today, I study his phrasing in an effort to get the most out of every song. bob(deckman)nelson