Arthur Roy Traum (April 3, 1943 – July 20, 2008) was an American guitarist, songwriter, and producer. Traum's work appeared on more than 35 albums. He produced and recorded with

The Band The Band was a Canadian-American rock music, rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario, in 1957. It consisted of the Canadians Rick Danko (bass, guitar, vocals, fiddle), Garth Hudson (organ, keyboards, accordion, saxophone), Richard Manuel (piano, d ...

, Arlen Roth, Warren Bernhardt,

Pat Alger Patrick J. Alger (born September 23, 1947, in LaGrange, GeorgiaCarlin 2003, p. 3.) is an American country music songwriter, singer and guitarist and a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (2010) and the Georgia Music Hall of ...

Tony Levin Anthony Frederick Levin (born June 6, 1946) is an American musician and composer specializing in electric bass guitars, Chapman Stick and upright bass. He also sings and plays synthesizer. Levin is best known for his work with King Crimson (19 ...

John Sebastian John Benson Sebastian (born March 17, 1944) is an American singer, songwriter and musician who founded the rock band the Lovin' Spoonful in 1964 with Zal Yanovsky. During his time in the Lovin Spoonful, Sebastian wrote and sang some of the ban ...

Richie Havens Richard Pierce Havens (January 21, 1941 – April 22, 2013) was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. His music encompassed elements of folk music, folk, soul music, soul (both of which he frequently cover song, covered), and rhythm and b ...

Maria Muldaur Maria Muldaur (born Maria Grazia Rosa Domenica D'Amato; September 12, 1942) is an American folk and blues singer who was part of the American folk music revival in the early 1960s. She recorded the 1973 hit song " Midnight at the Oasis" and h ...

Eric Andersen Eric Andersen (born February 14, 1943) is an American folk music singer-songwriter, who has written songs recorded by Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, Linda Ronstadt, the Grateful Dead, Rick Nelson, and many others. Early in his career, ...

Paul Butterfield Paul Vaughn Butterfield (December 17, 1942May 4, 1987) was an American blues harmonica player, singer, and bandleader. After early training as a Western concert flute, classical flautist, he developed an interest in blues harmonica. He explored ...

, Paul Siebel,

Rory Block Aurora "Rory" Block (born November 6, 1949) is an American blues guitarist and singer, a notable exponent of the country blues style. Career Aurora Block was born in Princeton and grew up in Manhattan. Her father, Allan Block, ran a sandal shop i ...

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Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and social activist. He was a fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s and had a string of hit records in the early 1950s as a member of The Weav ...

David Grisman David Jay Grisman (born March 23, 1945) is an American mandolinist. His music combines bluegrass, folk, and jazz in a genre he calls "Dawg music". He founded the record label Acoustic Disc, which issues his recordings and those of other acousti ...

, Livingston Taylor, Michael Franks and Happy Traum, among others. Traum's songs were featured on PBS, BBC, ESPN, CBS, and The Weather Channel. He toured in Japan, Europe and the U.S.

Biography

Born and raised in the Bronx, Traum became a part of the

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village, or simply the Village, is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street (Manhattan), 14th Street to the north, Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the s ...

folk music scene in the late 1950s. Early on, Traum co-wrote songs for the

Brian De Palma Brian Russell De Palma (; born September 11, 1940) is an Americans, American film director and screenwriter. With a career spanning over 50 years, he is best known for work in the suspense, Crime film, crime, and psychological thriller genres. ...

debut film ''Greetings'' – the first role for

Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor, director, and film producer. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of List of awards and ...

– with Eric Kaz and Bear. 1969 saw Traum joining forces with his brother Happy Traum in a duo. Their self-titled debut album, ''Happy & Artie Traum'' (Capitol Records) was cited by the ''New York Times'' as "one of the best records in any field of pop music." The Traums were managed by

Albert Grossman Albert Grossman (May 21, 1926 – January 25, 1986) was an American entrepreneur and manager in the American folk music and rock and roll scene. He was famous as the manager of many of the most popular and successful performers of folk and folk ...

(manager of The Band, Dylan, Janis Joplin, etc.). The duo performed at the 1969 Newport Folk Festival on stage with

Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (June 22, 1936 – September 28, 2024) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was a pioneering figure in the outlaw country movement of the 1970s, moving away from the polished Nashville sound and toward a m ...

and

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan Mitchell (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitch ...

In November 1971, both Artie and Happy Traum (together with

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

, David Amram, and others) participated in an extended Record Plant (NYC) session backing up

Allen Ginsberg Irwin Allen Ginsberg (; June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet and writer. As a student at Columbia University in the 1940s, he began friendships with Lucien Carr, William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, forming the core of th ...

in various songs and chants. Ginsberg wrote the liner notes for the duo's ''Hard Times in the Country'' LP. Reviewing the LP in '' Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies'' (1981),

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

wrote: "If you're a sucker for folkie nonsense—ramblin'

mythopoeia Mythopoeia (, ), or mythopoesis, is a subgenre of speculative fiction, and a theme in modern literature and film, where an artificial or fictionalized mythology is created by the writer of prose fiction, prose, poetry, or other literary forms. T ...

, articulated sentiment, purty tunes—you might as well buy it from real folkies on a real, struggling folkie label. Bonus: 'Gambler's Song,' Artie's uncharacteristically ironic tale of

anomie In sociology, anomie or anomy () is a social condition defined by an uprooting or breakdown of any moral values, standards or guidance for individuals to follow. Anomie is believed to possibly evolve from conflict of belief systems and causes b ...

, which ought to be recorded by somebody who'll get it heard." During the 1970s and 1980s, Artie Traum produced The Woodstock Mountains Revue featuring himself, his brother Happy, Roly Salley Pat Alger, John Sebastian, Arlen Roth, Maria Muldaur, Rory Block, Eric Andersen, Paul Butterfield and Paul Siebel. In the mid-1980s Traum teamed up with singer/songwriter Pat Alger (''Thunder Rolls, Unanswered Prayers''). The duo recorded the album ''From The Heart''. Traum released his first solo album, ''Life on Earth'', in 1977 on

Rounder Records Rounder Records is an independent record label founded in 1970 in Somerville, Massachusetts, by Marian Leighton Levy, Ken Irwin, and Bill Nowlin. Focused on American roots music, Rounder's catalogue of more than 3000 titles includes records by A ...

. Traum's 1994 release – the jazz project ''Letters From Joubee'' – captured #1 on the Smooth Jazz Radio Charts (Gavin AA chart). In 1999 his ''Meetings With Remarkable Friends'' – which included tracks featuring Traum playing with The Band, Bela Fleck, Jay Ungar, and other notables – received the Best Acoustic Instrumental Album award from the NAV. In 2003, Traum released a singer/songwriter project, ''South of Lafayette'', which was featured on NPR's "All Things Considered". In 2007 Traum released the album ''Thief of Time''. During recent years, Traum enjoyed a small side career as a documentary filmmaker. In 2002, his film ''Deep Water: Building the Catskill Water System'' (co-produced and co-directed with Tobe Carey and Robbie Dupree) was featured at the Woodstock Film Festival. Two years later, in 2004, Traum co-produced ''Hudson River Journeys: A Celebration of America's First River'' for WMHT Public Television. The latter film featured artist Len Tantillo and folksinger

. Traum also wrote numerous guitar instruction books, and hosted many video productions for his brother

Happy Happiness is a complex and multifaceted emotion that encompasses a range of positive feelings, from contentment to intense joy. It is often associated with positive life experiences, such as achieving goals, spending time with loved ones, ...

's '' Homespun Music Instruction''. Traum lived with his wife Beverly in Bearsville, New York, just outside

Woodstock The Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held from August 15 to 18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. Billed as "a ...

. At the time of his death, Traum had been at work on a memoir. Traum died of ocular cancer on July 20, 2008, at Bearsville, aged 65.

Discography

Studio albums

* 1977: ''Life On Earth'' (Rounder) * 1980: ''From The Heart'' (Rounder) with

* 1986: ''Cayenne'' (Rounder) * 1993: ''Letters From Joubée'' ( Shanachie) * 1996: ''The View from Here'' (Shanachie) * 1999: ''Meetings With Remarkable Friends'' (

Narada Narada (, ), or Narada Muni, is a sage-divinity, famous in Hinduism, Hindu traditions as a travelling musician and storyteller, who carries news and enlightening wisdom. He is one of the Manasputra, mind-created children of Brahma, the creator ...

) * 2001: ''More Music For A Stress-Free Day'' (

Hallmark A hallmark is an official Mark (sign), mark or series of marks struck on items made of metal, mostly to certify the content of noble metals—such as platinum, gold, silver and in some nations, palladium. In a more general sense, the term ''Wikti ...

) * 2001: ''The Last Romantic: An American Guitar Story'' (Narada) * 2002: ''South of Lafayette'' (Roaring Stream) * 2003: ''Songs About Fishing'' as Big Trout Radio (with Christopher Shaw and Tom Akstens) (Twining Tree) * 2004: ''Acoustic Jazz Guitar'' (Roaring Stream) * 2007: ''Thief Of Time'' (Roaring Stream)

With Happy Traum

* 1970: ''Happy And Artie Traum'' ( Capitol) * 1971: ''Double-Back'' (Capitol) * 1975: ''Hard Times In The Country'' ( Rounder) * 1994: ''Test of Time'' (Roaring Stream)

As composer

* 1968: Bear – ''Greetings, Children Of Paradise'' ( Verve Forecast) – track 1, "Greetings!" (co-written with Eric Kaz, Michael Soles, and Steve Soles); track 5, "What Difference" (co-written with Marc Silber); track 10, "The Hungry Days Of New Mexico" * 1972: Buzzy Linhart – ''Buzzy'' (

Kama Sutra The ''Kama Sutra'' (; , , ; ) is an ancient Indian Hindu Sanskrit text on sexuality, eroticism and emotional fulfillment. Attributed to Vātsyāyana, the ''Kamasutra'' is neither exclusively nor predominantly a sex manual on sex positions ...

) – track 1, "Tornado" * 1977: David Grisman Quintet – '' The David Grisman Quintet'' (Kaleidoscope) – track 6, "Fish Scale" * 1977: various artists – ''Woodstock Mountains: More Music from Mud Acres'' (Rounder) – track 2, "Cold Front"; track 13, "Barbed Wire" * 1978: Richard Greene – ''Duets'' (Rounder) – track 6, "Fish Scale" * 1993:

– ''

Jericho Jericho ( ; , ) is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, and the capital of the Jericho Governorate. Jericho is located in the Jordan Valley, with the Jordan River to the east and Jerusalem to the west. It had a population of 20,907 in 2017. F ...

'' (Pyramid) – track 8, "Amazon (River Of Dreams)" * 1995:

Tony Rice David Anthony Rice (June 8, 1951 – December 25, 2020) was an American bluegrass guitarist and singer. He was an influential acoustic guitar player in bluegrass, progressive bluegrass, newgrass and acoustic jazz. He was inducted into the In ...

and John Carlini – '' River Suite for Two Guitars'' (Sugar Hill) – track 7, "Fish Scale" * 1996: The Unherd – ''Looking for the Light'' (SongShine) – track 9, "Poison Rain" (co-written with Larry Hoppen) * 2001:

Joe Flood Joe Flood may refer to: * John Joe Flood (1899–1982), footballer * Joe Flood (musician) (born 1960), musician and songwriter {{hndis, Flood, Joe ...

– ''Cripplin' Crutch'' ( Diesel Only) – track 3, "Niagara" (co-written with Jim Weider and Joe Flood) * 2003: 4 Way Street – ''Pretzel Park'' (Sanctuary) – track 12, "Barbed Wire" * 2007: Eugene Ruffolo – ''In a Different Light'' ( Stockfisch) – track 9, "The Hills Of Sicily" (co-written with Eugene Ruffolo) * 2011: Larry Hoppen – ''One of the Lucky Ones'' (Spectra) – track 9, "Poison Rain" (co-written with Larry Hoppen) * Millpond Moon – ''Broke In Brooklyn'' (Tikopia) ' track 1, "Barbed Wire"

As producer

* 1976: Tom Akstens – ''Original & Traditional Music'' ( Takoma) * 1977: various artists – ''Woodstock Mountains: More Music from Mud Acres'' (Rounder) * 1978: Arlen Roth – ''Guitarist'' (Rounder) * 1981: Woodstock Mountain Revue – ''Back to Mud Acres'' (Rounder) * 1983: Priscilla Herdman – ''Seasons of Change'' (Flying Fish) – assistant producer, arranger * 1987: Arlen Roth – ''Arlen Roth'' (Rounder) * 1988:

Anne Hills Anne Hills (born October 18, 1953) is an American folk singer-songwriter who lives in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Biography Hills was born to a family of missionaries in Moradabad, India, and grew up in Michigan in the United States. A member of ...

– ''Woman Of A Calm Heart'' (

Flying Fish The Exocoetidae are a family (biology), family of Saltwater fish, marine Actinopterygii, ray-finned fish in the order (biology), order Beloniformes, known colloquially as flying fish or flying cod. About 64 species are grouped in seven genus, ge ...

) * 1988: Livingston Taylor – ''Life Is Good'' (Critique) * 1990: Amy & Leslie – ''Amy & Leslie'' (Alcazar) * 1991: Livingston Taylor – ''Our Turn To Dance'' (Vanguard) * 1995: Diane Zeigler – ''Sting of the Honeybee'' (Decca / Philo) * 1999: Alex de Grassi – ''Bolivian Blues Bar'' (Narada Jazz) * 1999: Don Ross – '' Passion Session'' (Narada) * 1999:

Laurence Juber Laurence Ivor Juber (born 12 November 1952) is an English musician, fingerstyle guitarist and studio musician. He played guitar in the rock band Wings (band), Wings from 1978 to 1981. Biography Early life Born in Stepney, East London, Juber w ...

– ''Altered Reality'' (Narada) * 1999: Mikhail Horowitz – ''The Blues Of the Birth'' (Euphoria Jazz) * 2000:

– ''

Waters of Eden ''Waters of Eden'' is Tony Levin's second solo album, released in 2000. Most of the tracks feature a quartet of Levin, keyboardist Larry Fast, guitarist Jeff Pevar, and drummer Jerry Marotta. Additional musicians who appear throughout the ...

'' (Narada) * 2005: Happy Traum, ''I Walk the Road Again'' (Roaring Stream)

Also appears on

1963 – 1979

* 1963: The True Endeavor Jug Band – ''The Art Of The Jug Band'' (Prestige Folklore) – banjo, guitar, kazoo, vocals * 1965:

Judy Roderick Judith Allen Roderick (December 14, 1942 – January 22, 1992) was an American folk and blues singer and songwriter, described by Allmusic as: "One of the finest white folk/blues singers of the early to mid-'60s." Biography She was born in Wyan ...

– ''Woman Blue'' (

Vanguard The vanguard (sometimes abbreviated to van and also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force. ...

) – guitar * 1968: David Santo – ''Silver Currents'' (Phoenix Records Of New York) – guitar * 1969: Fat City – ''Reincarnation'' (Probe) – guitar * 1970: Kathy Smith – ''Some Songs I've Saved'' (Fallout) – banjo, guitar * 1970: Happy Traum – ''Bright Morning Stars'' (Greenhays) – vocals * 1972: Mud Acres – ''Music Among Friends'' (Rounder) – guitar, bass, vocals * 1975:

Rab Noakes Robert Ogilvie Noakes (13 May 1947 – 11 November 2022) was a Scottish singer-songwriter. He was at the forefront of Scottish folk music for over 50 years and recorded over 19 studio albums. He toured folk clubs and often performed at the Glasgo ...

– ''Never Too Late'' (Warner Bros.) – guitar * 1976: Harry Tuft – ''Across The Blue Mountains'' ( Folk-Legacy) – guitar * 1976:

– ''I'm in Love'' (Blue Goose) – guitar * 1978: Happy Traum – ''American Stranger'' ( Kicking Mule) – guitar * 1978: Woodstock Mountains Revue – ''Pretty Lucky'' (Rounder) – guitar, vocals

1980 – present

* 1987: Priscilla Herdman – ''Darkness into Light'' (Flying Fish) – guitar * 1988: Rachel Faro – ''Windsong'' (Blue Flame) – guitar * 1988: Priscilla Herdman – ''Stardreamer: Nightsongs & Lullabies'' (Alacazam / Alcazar) * 1988: Christopher Shaw – ''Adirondack'' (Hudson River) – guitar * 1993: Bridget Ball – ''Bricks and Windows'' (Hudson River) – guitar * 1993: Priscilla Herdman – ''Daydreamer'' * 1993: Allen Power – ''The Healing Arts'' (Beacon) – guitar * 1994: Amy & Leslie – ''Take Me Home'' (Shanachie) – guitar * 1994: Happy Train: ''Test of Time'' (Roaring Steam) – guitar * 1995: Priscilla Herdman – ''Forever & Always'' (Flying Fish) – guitar, arranger * 1996: Rory Block – ''Turning Point'' (Munich) – vocals * 2000:

– ''You Can't Relive the Past'' (Appleseed) – guitar * 2003: Priscilla Herdman – ''The Road Home'' (Redwing) – guitar * 2004:

Cindy Cashdollar Cindy Cashdollar (born May 25, 1956) is an American musician specializing in steel guitar and Dobro. She grew up in Woodstock, New York, where she perfected her skills by playing with bluegrass music, bluegrass musician John Herald, blues musi ...

– ''Slide Show'' (Silver Shot) – guitar on track 12, "Locust Grove" * 2004: Priscilla Herdman – ''Stardreamer'' (Stardreamer Music) – guitar * 2009:

BeauSoleil Beausoleil, beau soleil or variants may refer to: * Beausoleil, Alpes-Maritimes, a town in southern France, adjoining the Principality of Monaco * Beausoleil, New Brunswick, a community in Canada * Beausoleil, a rural hamlet in the municipality of ...

avec

Michael Doucet Michael Louis Doucet (born February 14, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter and musician best known as the founder of the Cajun band BeauSoleil. Early life Doucet was born in Scott, Louisiana, to a Cajun family. Family parties in the 1950s ...

– ''Alligator Purse'' (

Yep Roc Yep Roc Records is an American independent record label based in Hillsborough, North Carolina, and owned by Redeye Distribution. Since 1997, the label has released albums from North Carolina and international artists, including Fountains of Wayne ...

) – vocals

References

External links

Official website
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Traum, Artie 1943 births 2008 deaths Musicians from the Bronx Musicians from New York (state) American folk musicians Deaths from cancer in New York (state) Record producers from New York (state) 20th-century American musicians