High Recommendation

Robert Hilburn’s review of two reissued CDs by Jack Elliott and Doc Watson, two of America’s legendary musical stylists, should be cause for celebration (“Warmth, Affection Power Elliott’s Versions of Songs,” Jan. 19).

Los Angeles (and its newspaper) largely ignores traditional American music, in striking contrast to Seattle, San Diego and San Francisco. This ignorance has its costs, as Mr. Hilburn’s review makes evident.

Elliott’s singing, Mr. Hilburn claims, “is almost amateurish” and “out of focus.” Hilburn nonetheless notices that Elliott brings “love” to his material.

The analysis is silly. In fact, Elliott is a great singer and has long been recognized as such by the folk world. What Hilburn finds amateurish is in fact a style, a product not of limitation, but of conscious choices made within a specific tradition of singing.

Further, Elliott’s singing is quite literally thrilling. He takes more risks with his material than any singer I know, delaying or anticipating the beats, drawing out phrases as one breathes or talks or mutters, rejecting metronomic monotony (a pop orthodoxy). Such choices disconcert Mr. Hilburn--high recommendation indeed.

ALEC STONE

Irvine