Little known folksingers of today

Subject: Little known folksingers of today
From: avrosimones
Date: 23 Feb 07 - 08:03 AM

After looking at the thread about little known folksingers of the 1960's, I thought it would be interesting to hear of any little known folksingers that people would recommend from today.

Here's mine;

From the UK - Alasdiar Roberts
His album 'No Earthly Man' of folk songs is in constantly on my iPod. I like his version of 'Lord Ronald' in particular.

From the US - Paul Curreri
Probably the best live performer I've ever seen.

-David

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: Scrump
Date: 23 Feb 07 - 08:34 AM

Me! :-)

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 23 Feb 07 - 08:35 AM

Seth Lakeman

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: Mr Happy
Date: 23 Feb 07 - 08:51 AM

I'm very well known to those who know me

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: Scrump
Date: 23 Feb 07 - 08:52 AM

Well, I'm so little known, I don't even know myself.

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: avrosimones
Date: 23 Feb 07 - 08:55 AM

I was expecting some more serious answers of little known acts to look out for, but I suppose a Friday afternoon might have been be wrong time to ask such a question.

Never mind.


-David

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: alanabit
Date: 23 Feb 07 - 09:30 AM

To the public in general, even singers of the stature of Tom Paxton or Pete Seeger are not well known. You could argue that "little known" applies to folk singers in general.
However, Pete Morton and Bill Boazman are two people, whose gigs I would never want to miss. Pete has vividly lyrical songs, heaps of physical presence, a strong voice and very strong roots in English traditional music. He is also a very charming man.
Bill Boazman is one of the treasures of the UK folk and blues scene. He has wonderful delivery when he sings and his guitar playing is up there with the very best. Unfortunately, he no longer sings his own songs, but he used to be a songwriter without peer. I don't think I ever saw anyone project as much warmth and compassion through their songs.

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: GUEST,Borderline
Date: 23 Feb 07 - 11:20 AM

This is good topic and I think it underscores
the environment that exists today for all aspiring
performers:

Technology has provided an avenue for many who would not
have considered performing or songwriting
in the 60's - 90's. Many very talented artists
go un-noticed due simply to the plethora of
writers / singers that are active ona the internet
today. Okay, so that's no secret. But I personally
doubt that even some of the greats of the past,
even the likes of Tom Paxton or Joni Mitchell,
would have been noticed much today. Eg:
visit 'Magnatunes.com' - a company that
produces independent artists; every one
truely remarkable (listen to Lisa Debenedictus "Alternate World Waltze").

As for performing, I find that engagements that
performers would have passed over in bygone days
are now coveted spots, even for well-known performers.

I wonder what lies ahead for the future of
folk music in general, especially for aspiring performers;
It's overwhelming....

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: skipy
Date: 23 Feb 07 - 11:31 AM

No, it's not the timing, with people like Scump & me out here, you are always going to get stupid answers!
Skipy

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: r.padgett
Date: 23 Feb 07 - 11:37 AM

I think this needs a bit more clarification please?

Singer songwriters? Trad source singers? Young singers?

Ray

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: Leadbelly
Date: 23 Feb 07 - 11:53 AM

Yeah,
please define it: little known singers from yesterday (see ....1960's thread) or from decades after? Or singers from today just starting their
"career"? In this case to be "little known" is quite normal. So it would be more concrete to ask for promising new talents 'Catters have heard recently.

Or am I wrong?

Manfred

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: alanabit
Date: 23 Feb 07 - 12:00 PM

I don't think you are either right or wrong, Manfred. We all have our own way of defining what "little known" or "folksinger" mean. Mudcat is a pretty broad church in that respect. We can't tell other people what to think. We simply can describe what the terms mean to us.

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: Mr Happy
Date: 23 Feb 07 - 12:02 PM

"little known" - to whom?

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: Mr Happy
Date: 23 Feb 07 - 12:04 PM

"little" - is it a size thing??

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: Jim Lad
Date: 23 Feb 07 - 12:17 PM

I found Jen Sygit
on Whole Wheat Radio .
This girl is so talented, I just had to write and tell her so. Never done that before.

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 23 Feb 07 - 12:28 PM

Yes, "little-known" to whom? There was a recent thread asking for 10 well-known fiddle tunes. I listed two lots of 10 that are played at every session up and down the land. Yet a transatlantic fiddler of this parish hadn't heard of any of them. And I knew hardly any of hers. You could conduct the same pointless exercise with lists of performers if you really had nothing better to do.

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: GUEST,English Jon
Date: 23 Feb 07 - 12:36 PM

Tegi Roberts is pretty good in the singer/songwriter vein.

Trad wise....Tom Sennet is worth looking out for.

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: Effsee
Date: 23 Feb 07 - 12:37 PM

Erm...wassisname!

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: Jim Lad
Date: 23 Feb 07 - 01:07 PM

avrosimones: Good thread. I'll be sure to check out any links the others may provide. Good to know who's out there.

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 23 Feb 07 - 03:39 PM

About a hundred mudcatters
Perhaps more
If the point of the question was to help make them a little more known, I doubt the outcome
If the point of the question was to identify who else is worth listening to, then don't look for them in concert halls, they are little known and get no gigs, or very few
Travel to the folk clubs up and down the country on singers' nights, to hear them

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: Jim Lad
Date: 23 Feb 07 - 04:25 PM

Poor Avrosimones: I thought it was a great idea for a thread. Keep it going and I'll stick my head in, once in a while for some good links.

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: Bernard
Date: 23 Feb 07 - 05:28 PM

I'm nearly famous...!

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 03:31 AM

You're right, Jim Lad.
Avrosimone, don't mind us cantankerous old buggers. OK some of us wanted greater definition in the question, but don't let that stop you from being active on the board. And here are four names by way of apology:

Mick West of Glasgow (trad Scottish and Irish)
Ian Giles of Oxford (all trad, medieval and anything goes)
Ian Woods of Oxford (trad English plus self-penned in the trad style)
Graham Metcalfe (trad English, strong Yorkshire emphasis)

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 03:47 AM

Just to be cantankerous, George, I wouldn't say that any of the above are 'little known'.
Though it would, of course, depend on who you were asking . . .

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: dumbo
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 04:08 AM

ROGER DAVIES from Huddersfield one to watch out for

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: Scrump
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 04:16 AM

Apologies for the lack of seriousness in my replies yesterday (it was nothing to do with it being a Friday afternoon; I hadn't been to the pub - honest!) :-)

Maybe, avrosimones, you could list who you have heard of, so we know who you already know - there's no point in us telling you about people you know already.

Then we could tell you about people not on your list.

(I still claim to be little-known myself, though!)

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 04:26 AM

You're right, countess, but I bet pound to a dollar that less that 30% of UK Mudcatters and less than 20% of regular club goers would know them. As you say, it depends who you ask.

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 04:37 AM

Thing to do is to play the ubiquitous 'driving between gigs' game of naming a musician and the next player has to name another with first name starting with initial of surname of last named. If you punctuate this tedious process by pouring scorn on anyone who says 'who's that?' you soon learn to know about EVERYBODY.

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 04:57 AM

Noel Shine & Mary Greene

They're well-regarded on the Irish folk scene but I myself am too out of touch with the UK scene to know how many people there have heard of them. Great duo. Give them a listen if you come across them.

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 05:40 AM

The wags at the beginning of the thread had it right - many of us Mudcatters are little-known folksingers - and some of us are pretty good.
But if you want somebody who makes music for money, one of my favorites is Janet Russell, a young woman from Scotland with a wonderful voice.


-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: Surreysinger
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 06:08 AM

But then Joe, Janet Russell is definitely _not_ little known!!! Or at least not in my book. I've got more than one of her recordings, and have seen her any number of times at festivals....

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: Surreysinger
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 06:18 AM

Oh, and BTW, sorry George, but I have to agree with the Countess re the four singers you named... I'm due to go see at least one of them (Ian Giles) in his Oxford Waits incarnation in a couple of weeks' time. And I was listening to him singing Christmas songs on a rather nice carols CD at the relevant time of year. So I guess it just boils back down to the "little known to whom" question...

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: kendall
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 06:31 AM

Our own Kat Logan, She sings like an angel.

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 06:54 AM

Ah, and what't the name of that young girl that sings Appalachian songs that I saw 2 years ago at the Getaway? She sings with her mum sometimes, but the young girl's voice is heavenly - and she is totally unknown in the UK. Le-something was her surname.

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 07:04 AM

Elisabeth Laprelle?
She's been on MIke Harding, y'know . . .

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 07:17 AM

That's the one, countess! I confess stopped listening to MH about a year ago - let's not go there - but haven't seen her name on any bills in the UK, so assume she is little known over here.

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 07:24 AM

Oh, I don't listen, George, Just read the playlist.
Once in a while, he plays a gem. Probably by accident.
It is not, on the whole, the place to listen out for 'little known' artists.
Andy Kershaw and Late Junction on R3 are infinitely better.

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: Bee
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 07:27 AM

This is an interesting thread for me - honestly, I only have recognized one or two names, but if I go music shopping, it would be nice to have seen a recommendation here. I pretty much only know the music of well-known international singers, or East Coast Canada singers. I'll throw Lennie Gallant, singer-songwriter, out for you - well known award winner here, maybe not so much in the UK-US.

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 07:32 AM

East Coast Canada - then you should know Dan McKinnon from Halifax, though of course he is pretty well-known over here (UK) anyway

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: avrosimones
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 07:47 AM

Hi there,

Thanks for the responses. I agree, the thread title is a bit vague.

What I meant was singers that are perhaps known in a certain region, but not to the folk community as a whole.

For example, I assume everyone knows about Martin Carthy & Family, Nic Jones, Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Seth Lakeman & the rest that are often spoken about here and on the BBC messageboard (and folk awards!).

What I'm keen to find out about are singers/players that have yet to reach that level of success/recognition. It could be people that are playing 'the circuit' already, or people mainly who play in one area...

Looking at my list above, I've noticed it's all Brits, but good recommendations from elsewhere would be more than welcomed.

Hope that helps...

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: Linda Kelly
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 07:50 AM

Dan Mckinnon is FAB -but surely well known? what a voice! Local to us is a girl called anne shannon from Scarborouh and the excellent Pillowfish- wonderful songwriters and great musicians who are geting better known. But frankly one of our club members Mike Sweeney who is possibly one of the best talents around , you won't of heard of him, he is an amateur but truly amazing.

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 07:56 AM

>I've noticed it's all Brits

Noel Shine & Mary Greene are Irish -

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: avrosimones
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 08:00 AM

Bonnie, I said 'my list'. But thanks for pointing it out.

I'll be sure to check out some of the names above. It's always nice to hear of some new names, so I can keep an eye out!

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 08:04 AM

Pillowfish, yes. The marvellous Helen Bell (ex Ola) with Tom Drinkwater.
Their CD Common Knowledge is excellent.

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: GUEST,Terry McDonald
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 08:04 AM

The 'unknown to whom?' point is vital - I was somewhat traumatised one Sunday morning when, on his Radio 2 programme, Michael Parkinson's response to a reference to Martin Carthy by one of his guests was 'Never heard of him' and seem rather bemused by the guest's enthusiasm for this 'unknown' folk singer.

On the other hand, I do know about Lennie Gallant and his 'Nelly J. Banks' is in my repertoire.

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 08:08 AM

Jon Loomes (or is he well known by now? He was booked at Broadstairs last year.) Interesting voice, nice "English altered tunings" guitar work, multi-instrumental, gift for spotting interesting and less known traditional songs (or surreptitiously doing a Niles on us, which I wouldn't put past him as he has an evil, evil sense of humour - you should hear the one about tuning the hurdy gurdy: "it's 120 years old and takes 2 hours to tune, two Martin Carthys!" Boom Boom!)

Tori Lang, booked at Miskin last year, so well known to some, about the age of my daughter, unaccompanied singer again of mostly traditional material, very strong conveyor of the sense of a song, made me cry three times in 15 minutes (but I was sloppy drunk by that stage).

Oh, and I nearly forgot, Davy Romsey (or is it Rumsey) used to resident at whatever the Maidstone club was called at the time. Very powerful voice, altered guitar tunings, often played as rhythmic chords, lot of traditional stuff but some contemporary too. Seems to have vanished AFAIK.

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: GUEST,John Robinson
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 08:13 AM

The Arctic Monkeys
The Streets

Well known, but not generally recognised as contemporary folk of the real kind.

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: Bee
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 08:14 AM

George P., yep, I do know of Dan MacKinnon - his parents introduced me to his music years ago at a craft fair.

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: The Sandman
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 08:20 AM

Ron Taylor.

Subject: RE: Little known folksingers of today
From: Bernard
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 08:30 AM

'Little known' is, as a few have commented, somewhat dependent upon where you are and where you look...

Here's a list of some of the people who I believe should be more prominent than they are...

Pete Castle
Andy Clarke
Chris Foster
Dave Burland
Roy Clinging
Mark Dowding
Dai Thomas
Wench All (a trio of women)