IN MEMORIAM - ARTIE TRAUM

April 3, 1943 - July 20, 2008

Four years ago, my beloved brother, Artie Traum, was diagnosed with a rare ocular melanoma. Despite repeated treatments, in May of this year it was discovered that the cancer had spread to his liver, and it was incurable. Like everything else in his life, Artie handled his diagnosis with dignity, strength and acceptance and even a little of his irreverent humor. He died peacefully, at home on Sunday, July 20, with his devoted and loving wife of 28 years, Beverly, at his side.

You probably know that Artie was my younger brother. He was also my musical partner for more than 40 years, and my closest friend. We lived within two miles of one another, celebrated every holiday and family event together. In the past two years we went to Japan, Italy and the California Coast, taking time in each place to see the sights, visit with friends, and enjoy the local cuisine. To say that I will miss him is a gross understatement.

Artie deeply touched everyone he came in contact with, from his family and friends, who adored him, to his Woodstock neighbors, to the most casual fan who crossed paths with him after a show or a guitar clinic. He was universally loved, and made an amazingly deep impact on the world he walked in.

He was a man of many talents: an exceptionally fine guitarist, a creative composer, songwriter and arranger, a dynamic and engaging performer, a record producer, and a wonderful guitar teacher/clinician. He also had enormous skills as a prose writer and documentary video producer, and had an incisive, inquiring mind and a quick wit.

Artie was extremely appreciative of his many fans, and you all returned the sentiment, which was hugely gratifying to him. If you have ever approached him after a concert or workshop appearance you'll have been a recipient of his warmth, generosity and sincere willingness to help aspiring players at any level. He was a bright, funny, vibrant person who had countless friends throughout the US and around the globe. The outpouring of grief and concern has been very gratifying to us throughout his illness and now during this period of mourning. We are very grateful.

There is a marvelous Remembrance Page on Artie's website, with dozens of heartfelt and fascinating letters of appreciation for this wonderful man. If you feel so inclined, you can add your thoughts and comments there.

My best to you all,

Happy Traum for
The Traum Family

Click here to read Jon Pareles' respectful and wonderfully written obituary of Artie in the New York Times.

HAPPY AND ARTIE TRAUM'S ANNUAL SOLSTICE CONCERT AT THE BEARSVILLE THEATER WAS A SELLOUT!

Artie and I once again be performed our annual Solstice Celebration to benefit the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild. This show has been a sold-out event for the past dozen or so years, so we moved it to a bigger venue, the legendary Bearsville Theater, just outside of town. Our stellar line-up of guests this past year included our own Lovin' Spoonful of a guy, John Sebastian; Austin-based Woodstock native Dobro/lap steel virtuoso Cindy Cashdollar; all-around instrumental wizard Larry Campbell; singers Teresa Williams and Amy Helm; and our extra-special guest from the Lone Star State, singer/songwriter and Flatlander Jimmie Dale Gilmore.

Happy and Artie in concert with John Sebastian, Scott Petito (bass) and singers Amy Fradon, Leslie Ritter and Beth Reineke.

HAPPY AND JANE TRAUM RECEIVE MAJOR BLUEGRASS AWARD

We are very pleased to announce that Jane and I, as founders of Homespun Tapes, were among this year's recipients of the International Bluegrass Music Association's Distinguished Achievement Award. The presentation was made at a luncheon on October 4 during the organization's Nashville trade show.
Needless to say, we're thrilled to be recognized by such a prestigious organization.

Check here for a fuller description of the event and its award recipients.

Happy and Jane accepting the IBMA award from Peter Wernick.

CONCERT AT THE WOODSTOCK PLAYHOUSE WITH CINDY CASHDOLLAR: FRIDAY, JULY 27

Austin-based Dobro and steel guitar phenomenon Cindy Cashdollar will make a rare visit to her hometown of Woodstock, NY for a special concert with Happy & Artie and friends. Other musicians scheduled to appear include Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams, with more surprises to be announced. For tickets and other information, go to the Woodstock Playhouse website.

NEW HAPPY & ARTIE CD RELEASED

We're very excited that Slice of Life Records in Japan has released rare "live" recordings of Artie and me taken from tapes of various concerts we did back in the 1970's and 80's. The songs include originals, old blues, traditional country songs and other gems from our early repertoire, and there's lots of high energy and hot picking in these old performances. See Albums page for more details.

November - Happy and Artie in Japan

My brother, Artie, and I had a wonderful tour in Japan to support a new CD, “Live Recordings, 1970s – 1980s,” released by Slice of Life Records in Kyoto. This is the first “in concert” recording we’ve put out, and it features fifteen old cuts, taken from tapes made at a variety of gigs back in the day, and three recently recorded “Bonus” tracks. Several of the songs are oft-requested ones from our first Capitol recordings, including “Rabbit’s Luck,”“The Hungry Dogs of New Mexico,” “Golden Bird,” “Double Back” and “Going Down the Road to See Bessie.” Others, like “Deep River Blues,” “Stack-o-lee” and “When I Paint My Masterpiece,” are heard here for the first time (unless you were at one of our many shows back in those days).

The tour was a wonderful success, with five sold-out shows in four cities: Osaka, Yokohama, Nagoya and two in Tokyo. We were overwhelmed by the reception from our fans for our first Japanese tour as a duo in almost 30 years. In the two weeks we were there, we met many old friends, including our terrific promoter, Hiroshi Asada, and the immensely talented graphic artist Ashura Benimaru. Hideaki (“Pooh”) Matsuoka, the owner of Slice of LifeRecords, accompanied us on the tour and he and his wife, Kyoko, were wonderful hosts in their home city of Kyoto. In Tokyo, we got a chance to play some songs with our old friends Ritsu and Isato, two excellent musicians who recorded translations of some of our songs way back in the early ‘70s. The combination of the four of us brought the house down at our last gig, the club Back in Town.

Along with our professional obligations, Artie and I, along with our wives, Jane and Beverly, ate amazing meals, saw remarkable sights and met many new and old friends. We were constantly struck by how kind and friendly the Japanese people were to us, and we hope to go back again – certainly sooner than 30 years from now!Click here to see some photos of our tour in Japan

Appearance on Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour Archived Online

In October 2004 I appeared in a nationally-broadcast "live" radio show from Lexington, KY. You can listen to this show anytime by clicking on the WoodSongs website and going into their archives. Let me know how you enjoy it.

Music Sales Corp. has just released a special 40th Anniversary Edition combining my first two books, "Fingerpicking Styles for Guitar" and "Contemporary and Traditional Fingerpicking," as they were originally published by Oak Publications in the 1960s. These were the first books to feature transcriptions of the great blues and country fingerpickers such as Mississippi John, Merle Travis, Etta Baker, John Jackson, Dave Van Ronk, Pete Seeger, Elizabeth Cotten and many others, and they were considered groundbreaking and highly influential. I'm thrilled that these are both now back in print.

In Memoriam: John Herald 1939 - 2005

In July, 2005 we lost a friend and singing buddy of more than 45 years. I met John Herald in Washington Square around 1958, and it was partly because of him that Jane and I moved to Woodstock. We came here to visit John on a hot summer day in’65 and he took us to a swimming hole in the woods called Big Deep, a place so sublime and lovely that we decided then and there that this was the place for us.

I was always moved and inspired by John’s soulful tenor voice and energetic flatpicking, and I loved his renditions, with the Greenbriar Boys, of “Amelia Earhart,” “High Muddy Waters,” “Different Drum,” and “Stewball,” among others. In 1972 Artie and I produced “Mud Acres: Music Among Friends” for a (then) new record company called Rounder Records. John was an integral part of that album, as well as three others we made under the name The Woodstock Mountains Revue. We toured together in Japan, Europe and parts of the Northeastern U.S. John’s songs - “John the Generator,” “Just Another Bluegrass Boy” “Prison Wall Blues” and “Woodstock Mountains, among others - always got a huge response.John has been an integral part of the Woodstock, NY music scene, and through the years we have played together at concerts, parties, and lots and lots of benefits. Although John was often in need himself, he never refused to lend his talents to an event that would help others.

In the winter of 2003, ten old friends got together for two Woodstock Mountains Revue Reunion concerts, and we played together as a group for the first time in 15 years. (See the additional photos on my Memorabilia page.) As usual, John’s high-energy, good-humored performance electrified the audience and provided the highlights of the show.

John was uniquely talented and a one-of-a-kind original who will be deeply missed by his many friends and fans here in Woodstock and around the world. Roll on, John.

Reunion Concert December 2003. John (center) with Jim Rooney, Roly Salley, Artie Traum, Pat Alger.

July 16, 2005 - Last week we had a concert in the beautiful, funky old Byrdcliffe Theater here in Woodstock to commemorate the release of "I Walk the Road Again," my first new solo CD in a couple of decades. Woodstock is the only place in the world where my shows get sold out almost before they are publicly announced, so we performed to a jammed house, with a couple of dozen people sitting outside and listening through the many cracks in the old walls. As often happens when I play around here, I was supported by several very talented friends from the music community, and the result was great fun for me and, I think, for the audience as well. They were Artie Traum (guitar), John Sebastian (baritone guitar and harmonica), Scott Petito (bass), Abby Newton (cello), David Hornung (accordion), Leslie Ritter, Amy Fradon and Beth Reineke (vocals).

I WALK THE ROAD AGAIN (Click the title for more info and to purchase)

I’m truly excited to have made this new CD, the first full recording I’ve made under my own name in more than 20 years. It has given me the opportunity of getting down some great old songs that I’ve been singing and playing for the better part of my life. It was a joy working in the studio with dear friends who are also some of my favorite musicians, and with whom I’ve shared many a stage over the years. I’m also very pleased that my son, Adam Traum, was able to join me on a song. It’s the first time we’ve appeared together on a recording.

The songs on this CD are old favorites, the ones that come to mind when I pick up my guitar in the late evening or early morning, and they are the first ones I play for friends and family. Some are traditional songs whose authors have been lost in the mists of time; others are the work of artists I have long admired. Regardless of when it was written, each of these songs carries the stamp of a great folk song, telling a story or conveying an emotion that remains fresh for me even after all these many years.

IT'S AN HONOR...

The Woodstock/Byrdcliff Guild has presented me with a Byrdcliffe Award at their annual Gala on August 20, 2005. The event was be held at White Pines, the 103-year-old home of the original founder of Byrdcliffe and the Woodstock artist colony. Check out their website for information about this wonderful organization, the history of Woodstock, NY, and the event at which I rceived the honor. My old, dear friend John Sebastian was the presenter - an honor in itself!

Byrdcliffe is the original site of the Woodstock artist colony, now 102 years old and still going strong. The Byrdcliffe Theater is just one of the thirty-odd rustic buildings, now on the National Registry of Historic Sites, that make up this wonderful collection of cabins, artist studios, a barn and residences tucked in among wooded footpaths in the hills above the town. This is where Bob Dylan moved when he came here in the mid-60s, and many other distinguished people in the arts have lived here through the years as well. If you are ever in this area, check it out. It's really the heart of Woodstock.

More news soon....