Upstate Crossroads by Ithaca, New York-based fiddler Tim Ball was the top album on folk radio during January 2023, while “Four Strong Winds” by the folk duo Ian and Sylvia was the month’s most-played song and the late Canadian troubadour Ian Tyson, who died in December, was the month’s most-played artist. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.
Upstate Crossroads is the debut solo album by Tim Ball and sheds new light on old fiddle tunes and folk songs from New York State. Ball has been playing traditional fiddle music for much of his life and has performed in Celtic and contra dance bands for two decades, as well as in Renaissance festival bands. For his first solo release, he draws songs, tunes and inspiration from the surrounding Irish-American, New England, Atlantic Canadian, and bluegrass traditions. Besides performing, Ball teaches string ensemble at the Ithaca Waldorf School and violin as a visiting lecturer at Cornell University, directs the Finger Lakes Fiddle Orchestra, leads Irish sessions, and has a private violin and fiddle studio. More information may be found on his website.
“Four Strong Winds,” the title track of Ian and Sylvia’s 1964 sophomore release, was penned by Ian Tyson and is among Canada’s most beloved and covered songs. The internationally acclaimed folk duo released nearly a dozen albums before splitting up in the mid-1970s. Ian Tyson — who died on December 29, 2022 at his ranch in southern Alberta at age 89 — performed and released music as a solo artist well into his senior years.
A Juno Award recipient for country male vocalist of the year in 1987 and a Canadian Country Music Hall of Famer since 1989, Tyson was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame – along with his former wife and singing partner, Sylvia, three years later. He became a member of the Order of Canada in 1994, received a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award in 2003, and was inducted into the Alberta Order of Excellence in 2006. ASCAP paid tribute to him during the 20th annual Folk Alliance International Conference in 2008, while he was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2019. Here’s a link to remembrance piece that was posted on Acoustic MusicScene.com earlier this year:https://acousticmusicscene.com/2023/01/07/remembering-ian-tyson-1933-2022/.
The January 2023 top albums, songs and artists charts are based on 14, 729 airplays reported on 482 playlists submitted by 121 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.
Folk Alliance International (folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.
Top Albums of January 2023
Upstate Crossroads, Tim Ball’s debut solo release, was the most-played album on folk radio in January 2023.
1. Upstate Crossroads by Tim Ball (102)
2. Me / and / Dad by Billy Strings (70)
3. How Can I Say This? by Annie Capps (66)
4. Radio John: Songs of John Hartford by Sam Bush (63)
5. Timeless Space by The Heart Collectors (55)
6. Tell ‘Em You Were Gold by Pharis and Jason Romero (52)
7. 1964 by Pat Guadagno (51)
8. Valley of Stars by Ben Bedford (49)
9. The Old Man and the C Chord by Chris Coole (48)
10. Snow White Memories by Irene Kelley (46)
11. So Many Wows by Lucie Blue Tremblay (44)
12. Down a Gravel Road by Ron Fetner (41)
13. My Heart Returns to Me by Sherie Davis (37)
13. Second-Hand by James Keelaghan (37)
15. Seth Avett Sings Greg Brown by Seth Avett (36)
16. Lifeline by Laura Zucker (34)
17. Ends and Odds by George Potts (32)
17. Bunchgrass by Wylie and the Wild West (32)
17. Crooked Tree by Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway (32)
20. White Trash Revelry by Adeem the Artist (31)
21. Landmarks by Helene Cronin (30)
22. Lowdown Hoedown by Jason Carter (29)
23. Rhizomes by The Squirrel Hillbillies (27)
24. The Light at the End of the Line by Janis Ian (26)
25. Don’t Look Down by The Burnt Pines (25)
25. Leap! by John McCutcheon (25)
25. Play One More – The Songs of Ian and Sylvia by Tom Russell (25)
25. The Gift: A Tribute to Ian Tyson by Various Artists (25)
29. Tribute to a Songpoet: Songs of Eric Andersen by Various Artists (24)
30. The New Faith by Jake Blount (23)
30. Where I’m From by Mike Berman (23)
30. Of Hard Times and Harmony by Windborne (23)
33. Songs From the River Wind by Eliza Gilkyson (22)
33. Love Is the Only Thing by Peter Mulvey and Sistastrings (22)
35. Still by David LaMotte (21)
35. Cowboyography by Ian Tyson (21)
35. The Coming of the Years by Joe Jencks (21)
38. What a Trip by Jaeger and Reid (20)
38. Small Towns by Stillhouse Junkies (20)
38. It’s About Time by Gerry Gleich (20)
41. Lay Your Darkness Down by Mark Erelli (19)
41. Wings, Strings, and Curious Things by Sue Horowitz (19)
41. Flare by Pat Wictor (19)
44. There’s a Bright Side Somewhere by Happy Traum (18)
44. Ever-Changing by The Ruta Beggars (18)
44. Last Days of Summer by Lucy Kaplansky (18)
44. Travelers Rest by The Foreign Landers (18)
44. Book of Life by Brian Blake (18)
44. Live at Budokan by Willie Nelson (18)
50. Anything but Ordinary by Jan Aldridge Clark (17)
50. Four Strong Winds by Ian and Sylvia (17)
50. Chasing the Light by Jared Rabin (17)
Top Songs of January 2023
“Four Strong Winds,” the title track of Ian & Sylvia 1964 sophomore release, was the most-played song on folk radio in January 2023.
1. “Four Strong Winds” by Ian and Sylvia (25)
2. “January” by Sue Horowitz (18)
2. “Sugar in the Gourd” by Tim Ball (18)
4. “Inside Out” by The Heart Collectors (17)
4. “Eyes Wide Open” by The Heart Collectors (17)
4. “The Welcome Song” by Jan Aldridge Clark (17)
7. “Long Journey Home” by Billy Strings (15)
7. “The Treason” by Friction Farm (15)
9. “Leaping” by Ben Bedford (13)
9. “Down the Broom” by Tim Ball (13)
9. “I’m Still Here” by Sam Bush (13)
12. “Slow Dance With You” by Dom Flemons (12)
12. “Upon the Mystery” by Chris Coole (12)
14. “Peaceful Activist” by Ellen Bukstel (11)
14. “Crowded” by Annie Capps (11)
14. “Never Gonna Do It” by George Potts (11)
14. “Apple Brewers Reel” by Tim Ball (11)
18. “California Earthquake” by Sam Bush (10)
18. “Guns to a Playground Fight” by Gabrielle Zwi (10)
18. “Way Downtown” by Billy Strings (10)
18. “Sage Hen Waltz” by Tim Ball (10)
18. “Didn’t It Rain” by Jake Blount (10)
18. “In Tall Buildings” by Sam Bush (10)
18. “Navajo Rug” by Tom Russell (10)
18. “Pieces II” by The Heart Collectors (10)
18. “The Fair and Dark Haired Lad” by Jaimee Harris (10)
18. “Down a Gravel Road” by Ron Fetner (10)
18. “My Charming Wife” by Tim Ball (10)
18. “Someday Soon” by Judy Collins (10)
Top Artists of January 2023
Ian Tyson, who died on December 29, 2022 at age 89, was the top artist on folk radio in January 2023.
2. Ian and Sylvia (106)
3. Tim Ball (102)
4. Billy Strings (75)
5. Sam Bush (69)
6. Annie Capps (67)
7. John McCutcheon (65)
8. Tom Russell (58)
9. Pharis and Jason Romero (57)
10. The Heart Collectors (55)
11. Pat Guadagno (52)
12. Ben Bedford (51)
13. Chris Coole (49)
14. Irene Kelley (46)
15. Pete Seeger (45)
16. David Crosby (44)
16. Bob Dylan (44)
16. Lucie Blue Tremblay (44)
19. Eliza Gilkyson (41)
19. Ron Fetner (41)
21. James Keelaghan (37)
21. Joan Baez (37)
21. Sherie Davis (37)
24. Seth Avett (36)
25. Nanci Griffith (35)
25. Laura Zucker (35)
27. Hank Williams (34)
27. Lead Belly (34)
27. Wylie and the Wild West (34)
30. Kate Wolf (33)
31. George Potts (32)
31. Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway (32)
33. Adeem the Artist (31)
33. Joni Mitchell (31)
35. Judy Collins (30)
35. Willie Nelson (30)
35. Helene Cronin (30)
38. Les Barker (29)
38. Gordon Lightfoot (29)
38. Jason Carter (29)
38. The Squirrel Hillbillies (29)
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