FolkWorld #79: Happy Traum

Legendary guitar player and instructor, Happy Traum, plays "There's a Bright Side Somewhere" from the Harbortown Music streaming concert on February 24, 2022.

A classic gospel/folk song featuring the intricate, dynamic fingerpicking that has long been Happy's signature style.

"I learned this from excellent guitarist and singer, Mary Flower, several years ago. Its simple, positive message immediately struck a chord with me and I've been singing and playing it ever since." —Happy Traum

Strong, Confident Acoustic Fingerpicking

Here’s folk artist Happy Traum’s first new CD in seven years! The renowned fingerstyle guitarist, singer, performer, session player, writer, instructional video producer and long-time veteran of the Greenwich Village and Woodstock, NY music scenes has put his indelible stamp on thirteen songs, most of which are either traditional or have been composed in that style by writers with deep connections to what is now called “American Roots Music.”

Happy is accompanied by a cast of A-list musicians and singers, most of whom have been playing with him on and off for years. They include multi-instrumentalist Larry Campbell; harp player John Sebastian; bassist Byron Isaacs; drummer Eric Parker; slide guitarist Cindy Cashdollar, vocalists Geoff Muldaur, Amy Helm, Zach Djanikian and Eugene Ruffolo; banjo wiz Tony Trischka, fiddle virtuoso Darol Anger, and Happy’s son, guitarist Adam Traum, among others.

All of the songs on this CD highlight Happy's strong, confident acoustic fingerpicking. The tracks include acoustic blues - Brownie McGhee's "Living with the Blues" and "Blind Willie McTell's "In the Wee Midnight Hour," plus powerful versions of Bob Dylan's "Farewell," Woody Guthrie's rollicking "New York Town," and Eric Anderson's Mary, I'm Comin' Back Home." One of the standout cuts is an "Americanized" version of Paul Brady's "Lakes of Pontchartrain."

Also in the mix are three gorgeous guitar instrumentals: "Santa Cruz Blues," "Come All You Fair and Tender Ladies" and "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?" Firmly in the "roots music" category are rich versions of the folk/blues classic "He Was a Friend of Mine" and Happy's haunting original, "Love Song to a Girl in an Old Photograph."

Happy's musical prowess is evident throughout this album, highlighting his skills as a first-rate guitarist, producer and arranger.

"I had great fun making this album and am excited to be sharing it with you. We started recording it before the pandemic, then it was put on hold for almost two years until we felt it was safe to be in the studio again. Throughout the process, I was uplifted by the talents and musical generosity of my fabulous musician friends, whose thoughtful and enthusiastic approach to these songs added immeasurably to what you hear on these recordings."

"In looking over this song list, I realize that nearly every song is pretty darn old, some even a lot older than me! I suppose there's something in these venerable ballads and tunes that touches some deep part of me and compels me to share them. I truly hope they bring you pleasure." —Happy Traum

Happy Traum was smitten by American folk music and began playing guitar and 5-string banjo as a teenager. He was an active participant of the legendary Washington Square/Greenwich Village folk scene of the 1950s and ‘60s, and studied guitar with the famed blues master, Brownie McGhee.

A first-rate fingerstyle guitarist and singer, he has performed throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, and Japan, both as a soloist and as a member of various groups. His avid interest in traditional and contemporary folk music has brought him recognition as a performer, writer, editor, session musician, teacher and recording artist.

Happy's first appearance in a recording studio was at a historic session in 1963 when a group of young folk musicians, including Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Pete Seeger, Peter LaFarge and The Freedom Singers gathered in Folkways Records' studio for an album called Broadsides. Happy with his group, the New World Singers, cut the first recorded version of "Blowin' In The Wind", and Happy sang a duet with Dylan on his anti-war song "Let Me Die in My Footsteps."