An Unlikely Pairing

"Folk Roots, New Routes" by Davy Graham and Shirley Collins is one of the cornerstones of the British folk movement, and I've only just recently managed to get a copy. Davy is THE major influence on Bert Jansch, Paul Simon, Donovan and many more in the burgeoning British folk scene of the '60s. Davy was a bit erratic, though, and fairly uninterested in the music business; Bert Jansch refined Davy's style and more importantly, kept playing and touring, so that he (Bert) is far better known, and probably a bigger influence on later generations of guitarists. Davy added jazz repertoire and other cultural influences (Moroccan, Indian) to folk guitar. Shirley Collins was one of the First Ladies of British folk, and "Folk Roots, New Routes" (released in 1964) influenced the Pentangles and the Fairports and the Steeleye Spans that came later. I had to get used to Shirley's voice. Many British women folkies have a high nasal pinched quality, but Shirley's tone is broad, doesn't hit the notes spot-on but in the general area. She reminds me of some British auntie after a few gin and tonics. The combination of Shirley and Davy shouldn't work but it does, admirably. Which brings me to more than 30 years and many miles away: "The Moon and the Banana Tree: New Guitar Music from Madagascar", released in 1996. No, the vocals (about half the album) don't sound anything like Shirley, and most times the guitar playing doesn't sound like Davy. But to my ears, there's a common theme of absorbing outside influences (mostly African, in this case) and reinterpreting a native folk music with a multicultural blend. And considering Davy's exotic travels, I wouldn't be surprised if he absorbed some of the Madagascar culture and reflected it in "Folk Roots, New Routes".