Dave Van Ronk didn't care to be called a folksinger; as a singer and guitarist he was informed by a rich variety of American music, including blues, gospel, jazz, and ragtime as well as traditional melodies. But Van Ronk was a champion of acoustic music in New York City in the '50s and '60s as the folk revival was coming into vogue, and he mentored many of the young folkies who came to the city hoping to make their name, lending them advice and often a couch to sleep on (Bob Dylan was just one of many young performers who camped out at Van Ronk's place when he first arrived in New York).