The Magnolia Janes had the top album (The Light Years) on folk radio during July 2024, edging out Beppe Gambetta’s Terra Madre, while Gambetta’s “Sit and Pick With You” was the most-played song for a second time – edging out songs by The Magnolia Janes and Beth DeSombre. Happy Traum, who died on July 17, 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.
The Light Years is the debut album by The Magnolia Janes, the singer-songwriter duo of Ashley Riley and Sarah Bonsignore. Riley (who grew up in Decatur, Illinois) and Bonsignore (who hails from Durban, South Africa) met at a songwriting retreat in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. Although both have written music for film and television, their musical backgrounds differ yet complement each other. Bonsignore trained in classical piano and opera and brings her South African musical heritage to the mix, while Riley’s music has been greatly influenced by Americana, folk and rock. Together, they write, perform and record what they call songs of hope and harmony — music that gives us a way to connect.
Here’s a link to The Magnolia Janes’ YouTube channel, where you can view videos for “Stones on The Road,” and “The Sun In My Backyard,” two of July’s top five most-played songs on folk radio: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMagnoliaJanes.
Beppe Gambetta, whose “Sit and Pick with You” topped the monthly song charts in both June and July, is an Italian acoustic guitarist, composer and singer. His musical stylings blend elements of European tradition with American roots music and contemporary flair. During his 50-year musical career to date, the Genoa, Italy native has performed extensively on both sides of the Atlantic.
The acclaimed guitarist is joined by such other notable acoustic artists as David Grisman, Tim O’Brien and Dan Crary on his 2024 release, Terra Madre (Mother Earth), “Sit and Pick with You” is the album’s first single. Here’s a link to a video of it that features a number of still photos of Gambetta performing in concert and at festivals with other artists of note:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbtIH2NJH2I
Happy Traum’s decades-long involvement in traditional and contemporary folk music brought him recognition as a performer, writer, editor, teacher, recording artist, and a top-notch fingerstyle guitarist.
Happy Traum, who died on July 17 and was the most-played artist on folk radio that month, released his last album –There’s a Bright Side Somewhere — in 2022.
Happy Traum played concerts, clubs and festivals throughout the world; released many CDs; and appeared and/or recorded with such folk luminaries as Eric Andersen, Rory Block, Larry Campbell, Dylan, Levon Helm, Maria Muldaur, John Sebastian, and Chris Smither. Sebastian and Campbell also accompany him on his last recording, There’s a Bright Side Somewhere, along with Darol Anger, Cindy Cashdollar, Amy Helm, Bruce Molsky, Geoff Muldaur, Eugene Ruffolo, Tony Trischka, and Jay Ungar, among others. Released in July 2022, the album – which topped the folk chart the following month –features a mix of 13 traditional and traditional-style American roots music songs.
“I have always sought to up my game and to convey the honesty and joy of acoustic music, and the guitar, in its many forms, ” Traum wrote in a September 12, 2022 post to the FOLK DJ Listserv. “By playing songs from There’s a Bright Side Somewhere, you have conveyed a huge honor on me, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
[Here’s a link to view a video of Happy Traum performing “ “There’s a Bright Side Somewhere”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R43RoH4bAc. A traditional song, it was reportedly first recorded by Reverend Gary Davis in 1961.]
One of America’s best-known guitar instructors, Traum also is the author of more than a dozen guitar instruction books and wrote for a number of leading music publications. He even had a stint as editor of Sing Out! Magazine. As the co-owner of Homespun Tapes, he produced more than 600 music lessons on DVDs, books, CDs and downloads covering a wide array of musical instruments and styles with some of the world’s top artists.
The July 2024 top albums, songs and artists charts are based on 12,429 airplays reported on 422 playlists submitted by 106 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 July 2024
1. The Light Years by The Magnolia Janes (80)
2. Terra Madre by Beppe Gambetta (77)
3. Earl Jam by Tony Trischka (63)
4. Signposts and Marks by Erin Ash Sullivan (53)
5. There’s a Bright Side Somewhere by Happy Traum (47)
6. Soliloquy: Sixteen Solo Songs by Craig Bickhardt (41)
7. Texicali by Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore (38)
7. Broken Homes and Hearts of Gold by The Lucky Nows (38)
7. Trees by Laurie Lewis (38)
10. The Price of Happiness by Miranda Hardy (36)
10. Holding the Threads by Beth DeSombre (36)
10. Wild Birds Warble by Jubal Lee Young (36)
13. Change Is Now: A Tribute to the Byrds by Christian Parker (34)
13. The Two of Us by Janie Rothfield and Allan Carr (34)
15. Colors and Covers by Brittany Jean (32)
15. The Earth Turns and So Do We by The Honey Badgers (32)
17. Proxy Music by Linda Thompson (30)
18. As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again by The Decemberists (29)
18. The Ghost of Tucumcari by Dana Cooper (29)
20. Positively Fourth Street: A Tribute to Bob Dylan by Rory Block (28)
20. Two Birds to Kill a Stone by Son Stone (28)
22. Sometimes You Gotta Wear Boots by Deb Seymour (27)
22. Banjo Jubilations by Benny Bleu (27)
24. All About the Bones by Chris Smither (26)
25. Look Up by Lynn Hollyfield (25)
25. Trail of Flowers by Sierra Ferrell (25)
27. Strange Medicine by Kaia Kater (24)
27. From China to Appalachia by Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer (24)
27. Wildfire by House of Hamill (24)
30. Ship to Shore by Richard Thompson (23)
30. Good Together by Lake Street Dive (23)
32. Keep Me on Your Mind/See You Free by Bonny Light Horseman (20)
32. Petty Country (A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty) by Various Artists (20)
32. Songwriter by Johnny Cash (20)
35. Alone Again by Steve Earle (19)
35. Wanderer by Ruth Moody (19)
35. All My Friends by Aoife O’Donovan (19)
38. Let the Light In by Two of a Kind (18)
38. By Now by Heather Little (18)
38. Off and Running by Ryan David Green (18)
41. The Only Moment by Maya De Vitry (17)
41. Multitudes by Alisa Amador (17)
41. Plastic Flowers by Nichole Wagner (17)
41. The River She Knows by Rose Morrison (17)
45. Things Were Never Good if They’re Not Good Now by Donovan Woods (16)
45. As Above Now So Below by Crow and Gazelle (16)
45. Let’s Walk by Madeleine Peyroux (16)
48. Every New Beginning by Kim Richey (15)
48. Mantras by Katie Pruitt (15)
48. Listen to the World Spin by Paper Wings (15)
48. The Beauty of This Now by Marc Douglas Berardo (15)
48. Polaroid Lovers by Sarah Jarosz (15)
48. Just for the Love of It by Happy Traum (15)
48. City of Glass by Aj Lee and Blue Summit (15)
48. Hymn of Wild Things by Natalie Spears (15)
Top Songs of July 2024
1. “Sit and Pick With You” by Beppe Gambetta (19)
2. “Stones on the Road” by The Magnolia Janes (18)
3. “Listen to the Radio” by Beth DeSombre (17)
3. “The Sun in My Backyard” by The Magnolia Janes (17)
5. “Peace, My Heart” by Tom Prasada-Rao (15)
6. “There’s a Bright Side Somewhere” by Happy Traum (14)
6. “Raise Your Hand” by Crowes Pasture (14)
8. “Saint James Hospital” by Beppe Gambetta (12)
8. “Goat on a Stone Wall” by Erin Ash Sullivan (12)
8. “Three Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention” by Cathy Fink
and Marcy Marxer (12)
8. “Season of Suspension” by Beppe Gambetta (12)
12. “Eat the Pie” by Erin Ash Sullivan (11)
12. “Broken Truth” by Tim Grimm (11)
12. “The Welcome Song” by Jan Aldridge Clark (11)
12. “Old Friend” by Amanda Penecale (11)
16. “Dark Yellow Thread” by Beppe Gambetta (10)
16. “Terra Madre” by Beppe Gambetta (10)
16. “Syracuse” by The Lucky Nows (10)
19. “Lucky Enough” by Winter Grain (9)
19. “Speed of Life” by The Magnolia Janes (9)
19. “The Witch” by Kaia Kater (9)
19. “Mis Amour” by Beppe Gambetta (9)
19. “Ice Cream” by Chris George (9)
19. “Looking for My Country” by Appaloosa (9)
19. “Five More Minutes” by The Magnolia Janes (9)
Top Artists of July 2024
1. Happy Traum (88)
2. Beppe Gambetta (81)
3. The Magnolia Janes (80)
4. Tony Trischka (66)
5. Erin Ash Sullivan (54)
6. Sweet Honey in the Rock (52)
7. Woody Guthrie (48)
8. Craig Bickhardt (47)
9. Tom Prasada-Rao (45)
10. Laurie Lewis (44)
11. Bob Dylan (43)
12. Christian Parker (39)
13. The Lucky Nows (38)
13. Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore (38)
15. Miranda Hardy (37)
15. Beth DeSombre (37)
17. Jubal Lee Young (36)
18. Johnny Cash (35)
19. Janie Rothfield and Allan Carr (34)
19. Brittany Jean (34)
21. The Honey Badgers (33)
21. Nanci Griffith (33)
21. Benny Bleu (33)
24. Willie Nelson (32)
24. Chris Smither (32)
24. Linda Thompson (32)
27. Rory Block (31)
27. Dana Cooper (31)
29. Deb Seymour (30)
29. Pete Seeger (30)
29. Richard Thompson (30)
32. The Decemberists (29)
32. John Prine (29)
32. Steve Earle (29)
35. Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer (28)
35. Son Stone (28)
35. Sierra Ferrell (28)
38. Kinky Friedman (27)
39. Kaia Kater (26)
39. House of Hamill (26)
39. Joni Mitchell (26)
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