Here is the obituary for Artie in today's Kingston (NY) Daily Freeman, near Woodstock/Bearsville, where he lived:
07/22/2008
Musicians, fans mourn guitarist Artie Traum, 65
By Ariel Zangla , Freeman staff
BEARSVILLE - Artie Traum, an award-winning guitarist and songwriter whose career grew from the folk music scene of the 1960s to acoustic jazz, died at his Woodstock home Sunday after a battle with a rare ocular melanoma that had spread to his liver. He was 65.
A statement by his family posted to his Web site,
www.artietraum.com, said Traum "handled his diagnosis with dignity, strength and acceptance - and even a little of his irreverent humor." Traum died with his wife, Beverly, at his side.
Born on April 13, 1943, Artie Traum grew up in the Bronx with his older brother, Happy. In the late 1960s, the brothers gravitated to the Greenwich Village music scene before moving to the Woodstock area.
Reached by telephone Monday, Happy Traum said he led the way musically for his younger brother, but "he surpassed me quite quickly in his musical ability."
He said Artie began his career playing folk and traditional blues before branching out into acoustic jazz later in life.
The brothers played together for more than 40 years. They released their debut album, "Happy & Artie Traum" in 1969, and performed the same year at the Newport Folk Festival.
Their last show together was in April.
"He was very much loved, personally as well as professionally," Happy Traum said.
Robbie Dupree, a Grammy-winning singer and songwriter who lives in Saugerties, said he met Artie Traum in 1974. He said they collaborated musically and became close friends.
"He was a constant companion," Dupree said. He said he and Artie spoke on the phone every day and had a once-in-a-lifetime kind of friendship.
"Old friends like that, they're witnesses to your life," Dupree said, adding that he would miss that friendship the most.
Dupree called Traum a wonderful musician, a devoted husband and beautiful person. His fans, he said, will miss the way he played guitar.
During his career, Artie Traum produced music or recorded with John Sebastian, The Band, Bela Fleck, Tony Levin, Richie Havens, Pete Seeger, Abby Newton, David Grisman, Livingston Taylor, Patty Larkin, Michael Franks, Jesse Winchester and dozens of other artists, and was featured on more than 20 albums under the Capitol, Sony, Shanachie, Slice of Life and Narada record labels. A 2002 edition of Acoustic Guitar magazine called him a musician "whose work defines the vitality and sophistication of American acoustic music."
Traum's solo works included "Thief of Time" in 2007 and "Cayenne" in 1987.
He was, his family said, 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."
Family members said they were grateful for the outpouring of support from Traum's colleagues and fans.
Writer and musician Ed Renehan remembered Artie Traum as a "great buddy."
"Artie was a superb musician, a great soul, and - perhaps most importantly - a true friend," Renehan said on his Web site. "Artie understood the artistry of friendship just as well as he understood (and commanded) the complex artistry necessary to coax superlative sounds from a guitar. The world has lost a vital spirit. I miss him already, and I always will."
Fellow songwriter and musician Pat Alger said in an online posting that he first saw Artie Traum at the Newport Folk Festival in 1969. He said the two later became friends after his manager tried to convince Artie to produce his work.
"Artie was our instigator - the one who was always joining people together for fun and music - and it was my greatest luck that he included me in so many of those musical happenings," Alger wrote. He said Artie Traum "stood out as a man with the greatest combination of pride, humility and integrity that I ever had the privilege to know."
Alger said every success he has had has been measured by Artie Traum's enthusiasm.
Happy Traum said there was always a kind of music party going on when his brother was around.
"He had an incredibly quick wit," he said, noting how fun it was to watch his brother exchange barbs with people on and off stage. Sometimes the exchanges would make him laugh so hard he could not play the next song, Happy said.
While Artie had no children of his own, he was close to his nieces and nephew, Happy said. Happy said his own children, Merry, April and Adam, grew up near their uncle.
In February, Happy and Adam, who is also a guitarist, played along with Artie at a concert in Mill Valley, Calif. Happy Traum said it was a nice way to "pass the torch."
