Interestingly, the UK folklore 'revivalist' A L Lloyd once praised Burl Ives as a real folk performer, an excellent example of the US's tradition, inherited, he thought, via Ives' Kentucky-born mother.

This is discussed in a piece by E David Gregory called "Starting Over: A. L. Lloyd and the Search for a New Folk Music, 1945-49"

You can find this online if you are interested. Not sure that Lloyd discussed his musicianship though.