Hi Ian!

For unaccompanied singing, my favorite American was, without equivocation, a lady from Arkansas named Almeda Riddle. To my mind, her best was recorded when she was a relatively young grandmother and was on the Vanguard label (as an LP only). Any other will do. If you can come up with nothing from Mrs. Riddle and really like unaccompanied singing, send me an e-mail.

Not in the same league stylistically but with a very interesting Irish-Canadian repetoire is Tom Brandon, available on Folk-Legacy as a cassette. Unaccompanied again.

The first Doc Watson LP (called "Doc Watson") on Vanguard was superb. Doc is pictured in a black-and-white photo with a Martin D-18 guitar. There were also Folkways recordings called "Old Time Music at Clarence Ashley's" (featuring Doc Watson and friends). Both of these may be available in CD form, possibly as double sets.

If you want to hear Pete Seeger singing real folk songs, then it's "America's Favorite Ballads" for my taste.

Get an old Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys recording. Look on the back and pick one with folk song titles on it.

There is a Bascom Lamar Lunsford CD on Smithsonian Folkways. He is a mountain music classic.

There are probably CDs with Woody Guthrie, Sonny Terry, Leadbelly and Cisco Houston all on the same disc. Pick up one.

There is a (U.S.) Columbia disc: CK46784, "Cajun Dance Party." I wouldn't want to listen to all 23 tracks in a row but there is some great music on there.

These are the ones that spring to mind.

All the best,
Dan