Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: GUEST,Lighter
Date: 09 Jun 07 - 08:11 PM

Waterson/Carthy and others are noteworthy for not trying to force the music into strikingly modern, usually unsuitable dress. Steeleye certainly in their earlier days) and Fairport Conevention (sometimes) could modernize the music nicely because they had something called "tact."

When Waterson/Carthy play 18th or 19th C. material, it somehow sounds true to the time and place (at least to some of us who were absent from those times and places) even if the singing is polished and the accompaniment sophisticated.

Good examples of what I mean: as part of Waterson/Carthy, Eliza Carthy's piano and singing on "Diego's Bold Shore" seems to me to bring out everything that's in the song while adding nothing. Some of her fiddle playing on her own albums, however, strikes me as just too frenetically postmodern.

It reminds me of banjo-picker Frank Proffitt's famous bit of folk-criticism when they asked him what he thought of Earl Scruggs's lightning bluegrass pickin': "I'd like to be able to do it, but then not do it."

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: GUEST,Stephen R.
Date: 09 Jun 07 - 03:31 PM

Only "Best" folksinger I can think of is Anita Best. She's one of the best, too.

Stephen

PS. I expect to receive the "Guest" title in the from window. My cookie keeps crumbling, I am unwilling to re-register every time, and the tech help forum is down.

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 09 Jun 07 - 01:18 PM

one things bloody certain Tim, you and me ain't in there.....

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: Tim theTwangler
Date: 09 Jun 07 - 01:12 PM

Depends on yer deffinition of Folk dunnit?
Stands back, takes bow, and waits for the fireworks to start.

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: GUEST,john f weldon
Date: 09 Jun 07 - 09:18 AM

I'm not much into the smoothies.

my votes:
-Peter Stampfel
-Bernard Wrigley
-Bob Dylan

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: GUEST,Bardan
Date: 08 Jun 07 - 04:35 PM

A while back someone said a few things about 'real' folksingers and 'singers of folksongs'. They mentioned the Carthys as an example of the real thing. What puzzles me is quite a few of the other artists mentioned probably learned their music from family members, or down the pub but don't have the same cachet. Is it because the Carthys are more obviously handing the music on or for some other reason. Then there's the clannads of this world who come from a 'real' folk environment and go off and do their own thing. Are they 'real' folk musicians? Maybe they were but aren't anymore? They are sometimes: it depends what they're playing?

Anyway, as a thread to get recomendations this isn't bad, but there should be a reccomendations perma-thread I reckon.

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: Rasener
Date: 21 Sep 04 - 11:59 AM

I happen to go along the lines of Frank Hamilton.

I would say the best folk singer(s) I know play at Market Rasen Folk Club. Its a team effort.

Why do people always want to put people on a pedestal and single somebody out as the best, that is so unfair and rude to all the other folk artists in the world, who provide us with such wonderful etertainment.

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: Chris Green
Date: 21 Sep 04 - 11:25 AM

For me, Nic Jones. I would also regard him as my best folk guitarist!

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Sep 04 - 10:40 AM

Bob Dylan, Ramblin' Jack Elliott and Martin Carthy.

If I had to pick just one I'd go with Jack.

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: GUEST,TIA
Date: 21 Sep 04 - 09:55 AM

I agree with Rosanna and Tom King...Dad!

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: GUEST,celtickev
Date: 20 Sep 04 - 06:03 PM

McGarrigle Sisters,beautiful harmonies

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: Bobjack
Date: 14 Jan 04 - 04:46 AM

Me!

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: GUEST,the best folk singer I KNOW is frank hamilto
Date: 13 Jan 04 - 05:43 PM

my name is appalonia, i like the way you sing and the words you use.Most of the song you wrote make me think about myself. Just keep singing cause your doing good.some day i wil like to become a great singer like you. and i need to ask you a question; what would you say to some one who told you being a singer not gonna do anything for me and my future? my father always tell me that, he wants me to do something more.I mean, what more can i do! and its hard for me to give up on singing exspecially when i grew up in a musical family.He wants me to be different,He burn all writing songs.well, time to go.Just keep up with that sweet voice of yours. hope you write back.

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: GUEST,the best folk singer I KNOW is frank hamilto
Date: 13 Jan 04 - 05:31 PM

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: GUEST,J Seeger
Date: 21 Jul 03 - 05:12 PM

Such thoughtful and excellent choices! Here are two more, and I am blessed enough to have seen and heard both of them this past weekend. When I looked at the question carefully to try to narrow my choices, I saw "folk" and "singer" leap out at me. So of course folks like Kate Wolf and Stan Rogers came to mind (as they did for many), and I also have a special fondness for the folk music harvested and reiterated in recent years by John Hartford ... but how about these?

- Arthel "Doc" Watson, with remarkable guitar talent AND voice just as strong now as ever, and a folk repertoire as broad as it is deep

- Ledward "Led" Kaapana, the Hawaiian slack-key guitar master who founded the group Hui Ohana with his twin brother and a cousin back in the '70s. Maybe this is too obscure for y'all, but his is genuine Hawaiian folk music with a great heart, and he learned it all (and composed it) the old-fashioned way, with no formal musical training ... passed along from person to person

These two represent what folk singing means to me.

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: GUEST,Rosanna and Tom King
Date: 21 Jul 03 - 03:28 PM

Our Dad..

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: GUEST,Frankham
Date: 21 Jul 03 - 10:06 AM

I can't believe that this thread has continued for so long. It's absurd. Everyone is entitled to an opinion I guess but really what good are they? A "best" has by it's implications to exclude rather than include and this is not what I would call in keeping with my understanding of what folk music is.

If we're going to continue this nonsense, I advocate a kind of folk beauty contest where the brightest star gets crowned and becomes king or queen of folk music.

They should wear a little banner across their middle and parade in front of every Mudcatter who would be forced to sit and watch. The winner would be sent to Hollywood to be in a feature film. They would be given their own TV show and a national fan club would be set up.

Maybe in this way we can finally define what folk music really is. :)
(At least for some).

Frank Hamilton

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Jul 03 - 07:53 PM

Best folksinger vote is a tie: Jean Ritchie AND Doc Watson!

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 20 Jul 03 - 04:28 PM

Guest, your comment (two above) reminds me of one made by Utah Phillips several years ago when introducing Rosalie Sorrells onstage: "And now here's Rosalie Sorrells, who has more talent in her little finger that she has in the rest of her whole body!"

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Jul 03 - 01:54 PM

Bucking for a free lifetime membership to Mudcat Forum, eh?

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Jul 03 - 01:41 PM

Rick Fielding bar none.

He has more talent in those fingers and voice, than all the collective talents combined of the rest of the membership of this forum.

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Jul 03 - 01:04 PM

John Duffy, cuz his high notes scare away mosquitoes!

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: MAG
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 09:57 PM

Hmmm, synchronicity strikes again. I tend to agitate for whoever I've been listening to lately, and, having just spent several days trying to track down the tune to "Sneaky Snake," was very interested to learn the composer is a 'catter.

I sure hope that Country Music for Kids CD is available from my distributor (BWI/Follett).

Some things I purchase and tire of, but Jody Stecher's just get better with each listening -- he inhabits the song in a way I can only appreciate with repeated listening.

Maybe in line with kytrad's point, we could say, when we post, more about what it is we like in a particular folk singer.

Ahem! and just what did you mean by the comment that I have a very -- roomy -- voice? It's good, I hope. You know who you are!

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: TheBigPinkLad
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 05:07 PM

Sting, hands down.

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: Frankham
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 04:26 PM

Hi Peter,

I think that there may be living trad folk singers today. They need to be discovered. I confess that I don't know of many who are still alive. That doesn't mean they're not there. It's been a long time since I've done any voluntary field work in unearthing trad folksingers. I keep hearning about the Jarrell family up in the Round Peak part of the country. There are those such as Art Rosenbaum from Athens Georgia who is in touch with people like the Ellers family from North Georgia. We still have the thriving Georgia Sea Island Singers from around these parts. Also the Macintosh County Shouters. The key to it is to take the time to do the research (which I don't have anymore). People like Stephen Wade are doing this. David Holt. (for Southenn trad folk country) and there are blues historians (musicians like Ry Cooder and Taj Mahal) and the like who can identify trad blues musicians. There are active folk song scholars and folklorists who are able to come up with those who are left. To really answer this question, you oughta' take a trip up to Washington and talk to them in the Folkarts Division of the Library of Congress. They probably would be able to advise you as to who is still around.

Frank Hamilton

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: cockney
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 12:17 PM

No doubt about it DAVE BRYANT he's the best FOLK singer that I know personaly

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: GUEST,pv
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 11:55 AM

Sorry, didn't say anything positive there. Tim Eriksen, Jody Stecher and Kate Brislin, Helen Schneyer and Bayou Seco for American singers, Mighty Sparrow for Calypso King, Louis Killen for Geordies, Sheila Stewart for the Scots, Boubacar Traore for the Africans (although I see my hypocrisy here because Sparrow and Carcar write their own songs), Packie Byrne for the Irish, Norma Waterson for the English... I don't think you can compare everyone nation by nation really; the rules are different in each place, and I'm tired now! Only how many more countries to go?! Oh god, the Spanish!!! xpv

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: GUEST,polly
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 11:12 AM

I have always thought that Joan Baez and Bob Dylan were popsingers in another suit. And Peter, Paul and Mary, and Stan Rogers, and Billy Bragg, and Woody too, in many ways. I love pop music, don't get me wrong, but folk song for me has little to do with ego or making pretty sounds, and therefore as good as they might be they are simply not part of the process because they will always be associated with their songs. Ditto Kate Rusby, because although she sings the material, she often credits herself with the rewrites and issues song books with her name at the top. It has an air of "the buck stops here", which is a killer for continuity, the whole point of the folk process. No? The Watersons rewrote most of their material and never credited themselves, and these days are often excluded from "definitive" lists of songs they had written from nothing (including on the Mudcat song list, as good as it is)...now sure, they get annoyed about it, but the pool of music is bigger and they are part of the mystery now. Kate Rusby Song Book? Hmm...play the songs of the stars with your own chord sheets? While traditional song books remain out of print? Makes me nervous. She should use her considerable resources to print the old books again. Might not make as much money, but might help the folk process survive a little longer.
It might seem a bit militant, really. I have never been able to make the distinction, draw the line, because someone worthy and good can be excluded if you do that. But why should a song immediately be called a folk song just because it has been written by someone who chooses to perform at folk events? I heard someone sing "Shiny Happy People" at a folk club the other day, and I would have rather heard Lord Randall, becuase I can hear "SHP" anywhere. I can be entertained with the "Macarena" or "Walt Whitman's Niece", but ultimately I need a bit more than that from the tradition.
pv

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 05:41 AM

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: Peterr
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 07:26 AM

Frankham
Thanks - I should have made it clear that I meant live singers as opposed to recorded material. On the archive subject I,ve just ordered a couple of CDs from the Music Tradition, of trad singers/players from 50s/60s recordings. Expensive, but apparently worth it as there's a lot of background material.
The BEST singer? Impossible to choose.

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: Frankham
Date: 15 Jul 03 - 08:00 PM

Hi Peterr

There are more examples of traditional folksingers on recordings today than there ever have been due to expansive recording techniques and mastering abilities.

Ya' gotta' hear Folkways Traditional American Folk Music Vol 1-3 edited by Harry Smith. Sandy Paton's record label Folk Legacy has many wonderful examples. A favorite of mine is Horton Barker. Listen to Alan Lomax's extensive field recording on Library Of Congress and other anothologies that he's recorded.

Are there any around today? I think so. Not well known perhaps but you'll have to go out of your way to hear them. Of course we have those that are such as Jean Ritchie. A must hear! Doc Watson also. Stanley Brothers. Many blues artists are still with us. Music from other lands is available abundantly today and many traditional artists are alive and well. When you explore the music, you explore the tradition behind the music and can then learn to identify the traditional folksinger.

There are also a lot of wonderful interpreters of folk songs around today. Many are specialized such as Margaret MacArthur of New England, Tommy Makem of Armagh, Ireland, (although I would classify these two as being so close to the tradition as to be traditional folksingers. David Jones, (Isle of Mann off LIverpool, I think) Cliff Haslim, Louis Killen, and of course countless instrumentalists, fiddle players, banjo pickers, guitar....who are still around today.

Tradition American folk musicians seem to be dying out. At least those we know about. But there may be more. Collectors and scholars of folk music may know of the whereabouts of others who are not so well known. There are those who are more qualified than I am to identify where they are. Hope this answers your question.

Frank Hamilton

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Jul 03 - 12:56 PM

Frank: Thanks, another great statement. By the way, I looked up birthdates for Yourself, Ian Tyson, Mike Seeger and Bill Clifton. All of you were born within about three years of each other. Each of you is a contributor right Now. All get my vote for "lifetime achievement award"! Mike Seeger's work is widely available, Ian Tyson's is if you special order. Bill Clifton seems to have five recent efforts on "ELF" records. Can Mudcat stock any of this stuff?    (here is Tyson's western stuff)

            >    Tyson, Ian - All Good'uns (Best Of collection)
*        Tyson, Ian - And Stood There Amazed
*        Tyson, Ian - Cowboyography
*        Tyson, Ian - Eighteen Inches of Rain
*        Tyson, Ian - I Outgrew The Wagon
*        Tyson, Ian - Live At Longview
*        Tyson, Ian - Lost Herd
*        Tyson, Ian - Old Corrals & Sagebrush
             (Has Diamond Joe)

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: Peterr
Date: 15 Jul 03 - 12:01 PM

Frankham
Are there many 'folksingers' as opposed to 'singers of folk songs' still around for us to listen to?
I could listen to both Maddy Prior and JohnK all day - both have a great vocal and emotional range, plus varied material.

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 15 Jul 03 - 06:06 AM

John Kirkpatrick's not bad!!!

Biased, Moi?

Sal

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: Frankham
Date: 14 Jul 03 - 06:39 PM

HI Guest,

I'm sorry to be such a blabber mouth but I love these discussions.

I think that in terms of folk popularity, Bradley Kincaid may have a "trained voice" against him. It didn't seem to hurt Buell Kazee, however.

Carson Robison I believe was a legit cowboy. Bradley took on it's mantle but I've always loved his singing regardless as to whether he just donned a Stetson or not. I especially like "The Santa Barbara Earthquake" and of course the "Prisoner's Song". I think "Gentleman" Gene Autry (one of my faves) owes a good deal to these performers.

I'm sorry that I'm not familiar with Bill Clifton. I'm sure I've missed something.

Frank Hamilton

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Jul 03 - 01:58 PM

Frank, you shure make it hard to have a good food fight! By the way, can you make clear any reason why Bradley Kincaid and Bill Clifton are absolutely ignored by the folk community. Is it politics?

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: Frankham
Date: 14 Jul 03 - 01:11 PM

Well, to complicate the issue even furthur, I think Charlie Parker was one of the greatest blues players ever lived. I think Jo Stafford was a great interpreter of folk songs. I firmly believe that there is someone sitting in a small town in either Iran or Quebec who may be the greatest folk singer you never heard.

Louis Armstrong was one of the greatest folk musicians to some degree. Maybe one of the greatest blues singers too. I think that the Bush Administration may be one of the greatest purveyors of folklore in the world.

But eveyone knows that the greatest folk singers in the world were the Kingston Trio. Because they said so. (By the way, I kinda' liked 'em).

I think the greatest folksinger might be one who I don't know and never heard of. Come out, come out wherever you are. :)

Frank Hamilton

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: Celtic Soul
Date: 13 Jul 03 - 11:08 PM

I guess he's not the definition of "Folk Singer", but my vote is for Owain Phyfe of the New World Renaissance Band. Frankly, he has the best voice period, by my aesthetics.

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Jul 03 - 12:17 AM

Don Firth: What does that accomplish, indead. This is a fun thread and not poluted by rancid politics. America's greatest Folksinger was Woodrow Wilson Guthrie because everyone today still follows his lead. Bradley Kincaid is never mentioned despite selling 40,000,000 records, so I thought someone should. Woody never sold as many records, but people must have bought his politics.

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: Frank Maher
Date: 12 Jul 03 - 07:33 PM

Fergus O'Byrne!!

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 12 Jul 03 - 06:58 PM

Agree with your last sentence, Jonny T- to me, a 'great' singer is one who communicates. People stop talking and listen. They are moved by the singer and the song. How much money he/she makes is not important, nor is how "big" is her/his name.

I guess we're interpreting the title as meaning traditional singers, since this discussion forum's statement of who we are (I saw it somewhere, when I first found the group) indicates that we're folks interested in blues and traditional music. It's better-worded than that, but that's what it means...was jazz also included?

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: GUEST,Jonny T
Date: 12 Jul 03 - 09:09 AM

Excuse my ignorance, but why does the question "who's the best folk singer you know ?" HAVE to mean "Who's the best TRADITIONAL   folksinger you know ?"

There may be a great answer to this.

Personally, I would put up with a dodgy voice if it was made up for in other ways; I would not be looking for a classically perfect performer to be a great folksinger.

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: Frankham
Date: 11 Jul 03 - 08:26 PM

HI y'all.

I wended my way through this thread and conclude that most of the people mentioned are not trditional folksingers but singers of folksongs (as Sam Hinton refers to himself). Most are professional entertainers under the rubric or image of the "folksinger" which has become ambiguous in the public eye.

Jean Ritchie, Almeda Riddle, Jeannie Robertson, Mississippi John Hurt, Doc Watson, Leadbelly, Mance Lipscomb, The Carter Family, and a few others mentioned above fall into the category of folksingers who came about through their cultural upbringing and bring the musical styles and songs a firsthand authenticity.

The others mentioned are all talented, some more knowledgeable than others, and some more entertainting than others but they come to the music secondhand like me. You can bend the definition any way you want to but to me if you don't have that cultural connection in that respective community that spawns the songs you sing you are like me "a singer of folk songs" and not a traditional folksinger.

This is not to say that the "singers of folk songs" are not wonderful or great in what they do. I love many of them and admire their work.

Also, I repeat, there is bad traditional folk music out there as there is good coming from modern interpreters. "Bad" might include poor performances where people can't sing too good, keep a pitch or musicality, butcher lines they don't understand or other things. One thing Lomax stressed in his recordings is that the traditional performance was the best he could get from the "informants" he recorded

Frank Hamilton

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 11 Jul 03 - 02:02 PM

Yeah, I saw Maddy Prior about 3 years ago at a folk festival in Canada, and she was marvelous.

- LH

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: LadyJean
Date: 10 Jul 03 - 10:54 PM

I'm a bit of an anglophobe. But I have to say it, Brit or no,
MADDY PRIOR RULES!

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 10 Jul 03 - 08:59 PM

It's a matter of semantics again -- should the thread title be "the best folksinger you KNOW" or "the best folksinger you know OF". Entirely different answers to each question.

I've weighed in with my favorite male and female singers whose recording I listen to. (Oh, short list, Ewan MacColl, Lou Killen, Jeannie Robertson, Norma Waterson, Frankie Armstrong, Joan Sprung, etcet etcet.)

Now, the best singers I KNOW -- well, Jay Smith for starters, but unfortunately he died last year, mostly unrecorded. And that's the tragedy. Such an incredible voice. I loved singing harmony with him.

And Curmudgeon -- known in the real world as Tom Hall. Still very much alive and kicking and I'm, of course, not the slightest bit prejudiced because I'm his wife and singing partner. And talk about being knowledgable about his material! And he makes the audience -- and other musicians around him -- love the history and the background to the songs as well. He's probably the person I most enjoy singing with, too.

Linn

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: GUEST,banjoman
Date: 10 Jul 03 - 04:53 PM

ME or my other half - its a silly thread anyway mullions of favourites so how can you decide

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: Don Firth
Date: 10 Jul 03 - 02:30 PM

I KNOW a fair number of singers, some nationally known, many local. I can't pick a "best." Nor would I even try. Futile. Downright silly, actually.

What does it accomplish?

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 10 Jul 03 - 01:33 PM

There's no such thing as "the best", except in the sense that everyone is the best at being exactly who they are, which is a totally unique being.

However, for some very, very good folksingers...

...that I saw recently: Chris Smither, Sheryl Wheeler, James Keelaghan. They're each about as good as good can be.

- LH

Subject: RE: Who's the 'Best' folk singer you know?
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 10 Jul 03 - 11:21 AM

I thought the question was "the 'Best'folk singer you KNOW" ... how many people have posted names of singers they actually 'know'? (And then I s'pose they'd have to be 'Cats or it would be pointless)

Sorry I'm feeling obtuse today!

Sal