Little known '60s Folk Singers

Subject: RE: Little known 1960's Folk Singers
From: Steve-o
Date: 03 Nov 04 - 07:49 PM

In L.A., they guy was Steve Mann. To this day, the most astounding and creative finger-pick guitarist I've ever seen/heard (and a decent singer). His legend is certainly secure, but he never attained wide recognition. He made two albums, both rather poorly recorded, but if you can get your hands on them, they're gold! Also, I went to college with a terrific folk singer named Bill Vanaver. A multi-instrumentalist and really good singer, he certainly fashioned himself after Pete Seeger. He made a few albums, but never "found fame", and last I heard he operated a "folk troupe" of singers and dancers in New York. Both of the above are fabulously talented, but the masses missed them.

Subject: RE: Little known 1960's Folk Singers
From: GUEST,Jennie.
Date: 03 Nov 04 - 07:32 PM

Luke Kelly and Pat Cooksey, before the Dubliners, was hard to beat,
in London I heard the two of them singing, I was a journalist with
the Gaurdian at this time. Luke was very famous later with the
Dubliners, little known in those days perhaps, but I think not now.

Subject: RE: Little known 1960's Folk Singers
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 03 Nov 04 - 07:03 PM

My friend Luke Faust was legendary in Greenwich Village, BEFORE Bob Dylan arrived. He's mentioned in the liner notes of Dylan's first album. Luke was the finest clawhammer banjo player I ever heard, and a brilliantly innovative musician on any instrument he could get his hands on. Part of the reason that he was so legendary was that he really wasn't all that interested in performing, so when he showed up on the street and was going in to some coffee house to perform, word would spread.

I met Luke in 1961 and we immediately clocked, musically. We drew from the same well.. The Anthology Of American Folk Music and the re-issues of musicians recorded back in the 20's and 30's. Our opportunites to perform were limited because when Dylan arrived, nobody was interested in people who sang traditional music any more.
Peter LaFarge (who did become reasonably well known) made a prophetic statement in the early 60's that if you didn't write your own songs, you'd never make it. Luke and I wrote songs allright. Unfortunately, they sounded as much like out-takes from the Anthology Of American Folk Music as we could make them, so our audience was very limited. In 1964, I left New York, and Luke did some playing around.. first with The Insect Trust, a psychedelic/blues/folk rock band who cut two albums for Capital Records. (The second album had a lithograph of Hoboken on the cover, done by Luke. And, from time to time, Luke would surface as part of Pete Stampfel and the Bottle Caps.
Pete was known primarily for being at least one half of the Holy Modal Rounders.

Luke still lives in Hoboken and does some music, but I don't keep in as close touch with him as I used to. I've never met anyone who had the brilliance and creativity that he had.

Jerry

Subject: Little known 1960's Folk Singers
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Nov 04 - 06:52 PM

Who were the talented folk singers of the 60's who played the coffee houses, etc., and perhaps toured, but, the masses never really knew of their musical gifts? Tell us about them, and what made them special. Perhaps you were one of them. Thanks in advance.