The revival of folk music is in full swing. With artists like The Tallest Man on Earth and Jake Bugg, this American music form, popularized in the 1960s, has earned a spot in the hearts of our generation. Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan undoubtedly played major roles in the manifestation of folk music into American culture. However, there were others, overshadowed by the big names of music, that certainly aided in the implementation of such an art form.

During one of my many quests for new music online, I stumbled upon the music of a man by the name of Dave Van Ronk: a folk singer-songwriter from Brooklyn, New York. Ronk, whose musical reign happened to overlap and coincide with that of Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell, contributed largely to the folk scene of the 60s, and for good reason.

Ronk‰’s most famous rendition of the song, “Hang Me, Oh Hang Me‰Û, demonstrates the qualities of folk music to the purest and most accurate extent. In comparison to Dylan, Dave Van Ronk‰’s voice is deeper and has a more soulful quality, similar to the singing styles of Taj Mahal or Ry Cooder. Perhaps the beauty of his music, though, lies in its simplicity: a useful tool for many music genres. Ronk uses his voice and guitar as the backdrop for his more complex lyrics, which convey an array of colorful emotions and ideas. Ronk‰’s voice is delicate, yet passionate and gritty, yet calming. His songs provide surprisingly soothing melodies and rhythms and demonstrate the idea that sometimes, less is more, ultimately resembling the distinctive characteristics of American folk music.

Do not underestimate the power of old music, as it has the remarkable ability of inspiring new music and, most definitely, never fails to make an eventual comeback.