best male folk singer?

Subject: best male folk singer?
From: GUEST,Leo
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 09:44 AM

we hear a lot about brilliant female folk singers, sandy denny, linda thompson, anne briggs etc, but there doesn't ever seem to be the same level of adulation lumped on males...now i'm having trouble thinking of any who are both totally expressive and technically excellent. i love voices like richard thompson, shane macgowan (i know saying that will make me a few enemies but ne'er mind), dylan etc etc, all of whom obviously fill their singing with emotion but don't have "technically" brilliant voices. not that i have a problem with this, i just can't think of a single one. maybe van, but then he doesn't really sing much folk.

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: smallpiper
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 09:56 AM

Best male singer - That would be an ecumenical matter!

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: GUEST,Leo
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 10:04 AM

YES

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: InOBU
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 10:10 AM

Lorfain Attway

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: catspaw49
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 10:14 AM

These threads are exercises in nothing in particular.....

Define "folk singer"
Define "Best"
Get 100 people to agree with your definitions

Then I'll take a stab at it........

Spaw

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: van lingle
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 10:15 AM

I don't know about best but Dick Gaughan is something special. vl
(and Larry Ottway ain't bad either.)

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: GUEST,Leo
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 10:18 AM

of course they're subjective terms, but I guess I just wanted to hear who people's favourites were.

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: Hillheader
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 10:43 AM

Rather than vote I think I will kick the Bishop up the Arse - It's safer.

Davebhoy

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: GUEST,Leo
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 10:52 AM

are you sure you wouldn't like a cup of tea instead, dave? go on.

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: My guru always said
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 10:59 AM

Definitely Martyn Wyndham-Read, a voice like Champagne & Honey - possibly with a Chocolate topping *G*

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 11:18 AM

Garnet Rogers tops my list of faves....

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: Giac
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 12:11 PM

Francesco De Gregori.

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: BuckMulligan
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 12:22 PM

I'm a little confused about the "voice quality" thing,and whether that's a criterion, but if so, I'd certainly agree with Clinton about Garnet Rogers, and add John Gorka to the list of contenders. Then again if "quality of voice" rather than "voice quality" creeps in we have to start talking about Greg Brown, Jack Elliott, Bill Morrissey, Bill Staines, Tom Paxton, Geoff Bartley and a bunch of others still practicing. Given the tone of some of the tracks on Ragpicker's Dream Mark Knopfler is oozing into folk(ish) stuff more & more; and assuming blues fits in with folk we'd have to open it up tot he likes of Chris Smither, whose range from gravelly growl to reedy whine can make me shiver. And them's just off the top of the head. Arlo Guthrie.

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: GUEST,LEo
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 12:39 PM

Don't worry Buck, i'm equally as confused, and I made the post.

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: InOBU
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 01:35 PM

Ah Van Lingle! You win a couple of new CDs, drop me a PM and I will send them to ya. Cheers - Lorfain Attway, I mean Larry Otway. as ever InOBU.

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 01:36 PM

TOM RUSSELL

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 01:44 PM

I wonder how long it's gonna be before someone posts to this thread

"All Of The Above"

LOL

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: Strupag
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 01:54 PM

Charlie Harragen

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: yrlancslad
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 02:03 PM

Ewan MacColl, Louis Killen, Terry Conway,Denny Bartley,   oh and Dick Gaughan too!

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 02:09 PM

Expressing my Northern California prejudices, I'd like to nominate Bruce Phillips, known to you outsiders as "Utah." But I'd like to say that Art Thieme and Kendall Morse give him a good run for his money.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: GUEST,portfolio manager
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 02:12 PM

Some say Bob Dylan is not a singer. I say he's the best male folk singer and the William Shakspeare of contemporary folk song writing.

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: Blackcatter
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 02:36 PM

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: GUEST,Ron
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 03:19 PM

So many good singer-songwriters, but Eric Bogle moves me more than most!

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: nutty
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 03:26 PM

I have a great love for Christie Moore but could also listen all day to Mick Ryan and Alan Fitzsimmons

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: Janie
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 04:18 PM

"Folk singer" a folk who sings

"best" The ones I like

all one hundred of me agree.

OK Spaw, jump in:)

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: MairSea
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 04:22 PM

Steve Knightley, Martyn Joseph, Mick Ryan

Love lots of them.

Love and Peace

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: GUEST,Gene Burton
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 04:33 PM

Bert Jansch. Modest vocal range, inscrutable diction; but still for my money one of the most authentic and distinctive folk voices around. Not bad on guitar, either.

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: Leo Condie
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 04:38 PM

I agree that Bert has a wonderful voice. Have you heard him on From The Outside (which is criminally, criminally underrated by the way)?

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: GUEST,Gene Burton
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 04:41 PM

Is that one of his obscure 1980s releases?

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: Leo Condie
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 04:50 PM

It was until recently. Originally only something like 500 copies, I believe, but Bert got hold of the tapes and got it re-released on his current label (I think it's some odd little division of sanctuary...anyway whoever they are they're such tight bastards they wouldn't give bert's agent a copy of the new album!), also adding a new track or two. It's fairly easy to track down if you're in the UK, I picked it up for a fiver and was more than pleasantly surprised - it's on a par with his debut if not better. It's also, I believe, the first album he made since 1965 that's just him on guitar and nothing else. Anyway, I could talk about Bert all day but I'd rather just play his tunes.

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: Little Robyn
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 07:18 PM

I like Robin Laing. Very smooth. But Tom Paxton and Bob Gibson were favourites too.

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: GUEST,Peter
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 07:22 PM

It's been a while now, but Nic Jones still does it better than anyone for me

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: DonMeixner
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 07:38 PM

I always that Logan English was under rated. I don't think there are bests. I've seen Andy M. Stewart enthrall all of Old Songs with just his voice and a Yamaha 180 guitar. I've seen Eric Frandsen play some of the most dynamic stuff I ever heard one night and then piss off the same crowd so baddly the next night they never had him back.

Who is my favorite. Just as hard to tell but Tom Paxton has the edge.

Don

(Rick Fielding is the best musician I have ever swapped songs across a beer and a picnic table with and I hope to do it again real soon.)

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: M.Ted
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 11:27 PM

Louis Armstrong--

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: toadfrog
Date: 26 Apr 03 - 11:53 PM

Probably the best living male folk singer is some Serb, or Uzbek, or maybe Algerian or Sudanese, none of us has ever heard of. Of the recorded male folk singers I know about, I'd vote for Leadbelly.

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: musicmick
Date: 27 Apr 03 - 01:56 AM

I'd say that the best voice belonged to Glen Yarborough or Paul Robeson but the best, and most moving, was Harry Belafonte. Other great voices include Leon Bibb and Eddy Arnold (check out his rendition of "Wayfaring Stranger") Burl Ives was no slouch, either and nobody could sell a song like Josh White.

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: alanabit
Date: 27 Apr 03 - 05:10 AM

Of course it's subjective. I saw Pete Morton do a smashing gig last night. One day I'll hear Paul Downes or Martin Carthy close up again and be thrilled. Bert Jansch is never long off my CD player and there are many Mudcatters who regularly get played too. What does "good voice" mean? I love the reedy sound of Mississippi John Hurt and the roar of Leadbelly. There is the smooth grace of Belafonte and the growl of Muddy Waters. I love em all. I don't believe in "good voices". Bad singers can make "good voices" dull. Good singers make songs come alive. They make their voices sound right.

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: KJ
Date: 27 Apr 03 - 10:05 AM

Dave Burland, that voice is soooooooooo sexy!

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: Tiger
Date: 27 Apr 03 - 03:05 PM

I'm really surprised that no one has mentioned Doc Watson.

You can't accuse him of having a beautiful voice, but what comes out really does the trick.

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: Folkiedave
Date: 27 Apr 03 - 03:32 PM

Someone no-one has mentioned. Mike Waterson at his peak had power clarity and a way of tackling songs where the emotion of the words came over like no-one, else except his sister Lal.

Mind Burland is good. And Roy Bailey. And Dick Guaghan.

Burland has a way of slightly "spreading" the words, I am not sure if this has a name. He once did the most amazing impression of Martin Carthy - he sang "Blue Suede Shoes" to the tune of "A Sailors Life".

Magic.

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: GUEST,jennifer
Date: 27 Apr 03 - 03:43 PM

I'm still wondering why, as the original post said, the female voice seems to be more lauded than the male. If this is in fact the case. Is it a sex thing?
My votes for best male voice as an instrument though: John Tams (of course) and Vin Garbutt.

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: Leo Condie
Date: 27 Apr 03 - 04:19 PM

Well, personally I guess what I was trying to say was it seems that often the female voices in folk are "technically" brilliant, i.e very pure of tone and all the things that make a classically good voice, whereas more men in folk get by with sheer emotion and not very good voices technically. but as to why this is, I don't know! Also I should add I don't mean any of that in a negative way, I love hundreds of folkie voices, pretty much all of them in fact, except Arlo Guthrie.

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: Mary Humphreys
Date: 27 Apr 03 - 04:20 PM

I go with Guru - Martyn Wyndham-Read has one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard. If you want raw and gutsy ballad delivery then Brian Peters is hard to beat. And why has no-one mentioned Spiers and Bowden who are all the rage in the UK at the moment?

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: Don Firth
Date: 27 Apr 03 - 04:54 PM

Best schmest! What this means, of course, is "favorite male folk singer."

Don Firth

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: Thomas the Rhymer
Date: 27 Apr 03 - 05:07 PM

I aspire to be the best male folksinger. What qualities should I have? Please note that all advice given will not be kept strickly confidential... Be candid, and I'll let you live... ttr

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 27 Apr 03 - 05:52 PM

Alan Prior, Ron Taylor, Mick Ryan, Martin Wyndham-Read are just wonderful to listen to.

Thanks for the plug Mary - Brian Peters is the guest at Herga tomorrow night.

Kitty

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: Leo Condie
Date: 27 Apr 03 - 05:53 PM

Don - of course it does. have i not been punished enough? :P

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: CraigS
Date: 27 Apr 03 - 06:46 PM

If we're talking vocal quality, combined with the ability to put a song over to an audience, I vote for Nick Dow (and I've got two Brian Peters LPs!).

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: kendall
Date: 27 Apr 03 - 06:52 PM

I know too many of them to stick my neck out. Thanks Joe, I really appreciate that vote of confidence.

Subject: RE: best male folk singer?
From: John Routledge
Date: 27 Apr 03 - 06:54 PM

A singer currently currently singinging his socks off is Donal Maguire here in UK

Brian Peters also gets half a vote for re-introducing Joe Kerins and his fine singing to the National Festival the Leicestershire earlier this month

This piece of string gets longer.