Who's your favourite folk musician?

[Mrs Gert]

Maddy Prior. I love her.

[Big Al]

Ok I think i have some you tubeing to do, I've never heard of any of them. I've always wanted to have a delve into Folk but just never known where to begin. i have a few names now so thanks guys.x

This was exactly the reason for me starting the other topics etc as I can't afford to take a punt on music these days without knowing what they are like.

Years ago I used to be in a tape circle where people recorded 3 tracks of about 6 artists and sent then round the group. Out of the average 36 new artists each 2 months I'd end up buying albums of about 33 - 34 of the artists. Sadly that circle died the death aslong with my tape deck,lol.

[phil55494]

I knew I'd forget someone I like from my list!

Chumbawamba. Forget Tubthumping but go for things like English Rebel Songs 1381-1914 (or 1381-1984 for the re-released version), Readymades with its sample of all sorts of british folk singers, Singsong and a Scrap much more folky with its acoustic and acapella songs.

[TheGoodEarth]

Eric Bogle ......and the band played waltzing Matilda

Oh, yes. And I can't listen to his other great song - No Man's Land - without tears in my eyes.

And I can't listen to 'He's nobody's moggy now' without smiling.


http://www.we7.com/#/artist/Eric-Bogle

[spider8]

Ok I think i have some you tubeing to do, I've never heard of any of them. I've always wanted to have a delve into Folk but just never known where to begin. i have a few names now so thanks guys.x

I'm afraid I don't know any folk music as it has never been my bag. I will have to look into some of these mentioned.........Red Hot Chilli Pipers don't really count I guess!

[gregorach]

I'm afraid I don't know any folk music as it has never been my bag. I will have to look into some of these mentioned.........Red Hot Chilli Pipers don't really count I guess!

No, but if you like that sort of thing, you might like Breabach.

(Whoa! I've never heard them do that version before. That's awesome! )

[Penny Lane]

Levellers
Eliza Carthy
John Martyn
Ani DiFranco
Bert Jansch

There's more I'm sure ;)

[bonniethomas06]

Has anyone ever hears of Sam Hooper? I heard his stuff once, but cant find it anywhere.

[Stonehead]

Hmm, where to start? And where to finish?

The problem for me is that my very mixed ancestry, a lifetime of travelling and a vast record collection have exposed me to a broad range of folk traditions. At the top level, do I go for Irish, Scots, Welsh, Cornish, English, Australian, American, Canadian or Swedish folk? And what about all the branches and sub-branches within those? I'd find it difficult to narrow it down to a top 10, much less a favourite musician overall.

Instead, I'll just list the artists on the dozen or so folk CDs and LPs scattered through the music pile next to me as they're the ones I've listened to recently.

Seamus Begley & Tim Edey (Disgrace Notes)
Triakel (Sanger Fran 63 Degrees N)
Bothy Band (Old Hag You Have Killed Me)
Angus & Julia Stone (Chocolates and Cigarettes)
Chumbawamba (English Rebel Songs 1381-1914)
Tom Waits (The Early Years)
Allan Mills and the Shanty Men (Songs of the Sea)
The High Kings (The High Kings)
Thomas Fraser (Just Call Me Lonesome)
Various, including Maddy Prior, Janet Russell and John Wright (Fyre & Sworde: Songs Of The Border Reivers)
The Waifs (Up All Night)
Woody Guthrie (Dust Bowl Ballads)
Madeleine Peyroux (Bare Bones)
Bob Dylan (Together Through Life)

Make what you will of that lot!

[spider8]

Thanks gregorach, they sound really good and I'll do a bit more listening to their playing and see if I can add them to my Christmas present list .

[fruitcake]

I forgot - Joan Baez !!!

[Graye]

I'm a second time around folky. Firstly from the late 1960s when there was the huge folk music revival in the UK and then again in 1995 when I "rediscovered" it all over again. Does this mean I get two tens?
I remember the clubs of the first time around, packed to the rafters with mainly youngsters, you could find a different club every night of the week within about a ten mile radius. The clientele in the clubs and at most festivals is a little different now.

I love/loved

Joni Mithell
Joan Baez (I saw her a few years ago -amazing still)
Judy Collins
Pentangle
Vin Garbutt
Bob Fox & Stu Luckley
Show of Hands
Norma Waterson
Doolan Band
Keithy whateverhisnameis from Newcastle who does the funny stuff. ?Donnelly?

And just about every one else from the "finger in the ear" brigade to the shanty singers to the "new" stuff and everything else in between.

[Thurston Garden]

Maddy Prior. I love her.

Good call! Guest appearance from Tull's Ian Anderson on Gutter Geese!

[SeanM]

My favourite folk musician is Steve Tilston(who also has a very talented daughter Martha) and i play several of his songs.I couldn't see a mention of his name so here is a goodie from his last album,A Pretty Penny,about the bankers:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35o2OC62MWQ

I also like John Gorka,Tom Pacheco,Jim Page(no not the LedZep one!),Boo Hewerdine,Vin Garbutt,Christy Moore,Loudon Wainwright,James Keelaghan,Bruce Cockburn,Bill Morrissey,Wizz Jones to name just a few.

I saw someone mention Buddy Mondlock above who i haven't seen yet but luckily he'll be appearing at The Lamb Folk Club Eastbourne next September which i'm really looking forward to.

[baldybloke]

Top of the list has to be:

Sandy Denny

Then in no particular order:

Moving Hearts
Richard Thompson
Billy in the Low Ground
Melanie
Jackie Leven
Karine Polwart
Mike Scott and the Waterboys
Clive Gregson and Christine Collister
Waking the Witch
Andy White
Peatbog Faeries
Shooglenifty

I'll stop there, but there are loads more.