A 17-song tribute compilation, Long Journey Home: A Century After the 1925 Mountain City Fiddlers Convention celebrates the centenary of the iconic gathering of nearly 100 musicians in rural Mountain City, Tennessee. Produced by John McCutcheon (who also sings and plays banjo and fretless banjo on it), the album on Appalsongs showcases old-time fiddling and old time music with a number of today’s most celebrated old-time and bluegrass artists performing their own renditions of ballads, reels and tunes that have stood the test of time. Featured artists, in addition to McCutcheon and Tuttle, include Jake Blount, Old Crow Medicine Show, Tim O’Brien, Sparky & Rhonda Rucker, Becky Buller, Trey Wellington & Victor Furtado, Stuart Duncan, Cathy & Marcy’s Old Time Coalition, Kody Norris Show, Earl White Stringband, and Bruce Molsky.

Molly Tuttle, who is joined by Ketch Secor (who fronts and co-founded Old Crow Medicine Show) on “I’ve Always Been a Rambler,” is an acclaimed guitarist known for her prowess at flatpicking and cross-picking, as well as a singer- songwriter and banjo player. At age 24, she became the first woman to win the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Guitar Player of the Year Award in 2017 and did so again the following year when the Americana Music Association also named her Instrumentalist of the Year. Tuttle has been the recipient of two Grammy Awards for Best Bluegrass Album for Crooked Tree and City of Gold in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Crooked Tree also was named Album of the Year in the International Bluegrass Music Awards, while its title track was feted as Song of the Year and she was named Female Vocalist of the Year. City of Gold, also recorded with her band Golden Highway, also was named Album of the Year during the 2023 International Folk Music Awards presented by Folk Alliance International.

Connie Kaldor is a three-time Juno Award-winning singer songwriter who has been writing and performing her songs for more than 45 years and has recorded 19 albums. Her new release, Wide Open Space, was the #2 album on the FAI Folk Chart in September. A member of the Order of Canada and a Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award recipient, she also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Woodstock Folk Festival in Woodstock, Illinois earlier this year. Kaldor is based in Montreal and tours extensively. She is frequently joined in concert by her husband Paul Campagne and sons Aleksi and Gabriel Campagne. She will be among the official showcase artists during the Northeast Regional folk Alliance (NERFA) Conference in Albany, NY in November.

The September 2025 top albums, songs and artists charts are based on 10, 565 airplays reported on 347 playlists submitted by 93 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 September 2025 

1.Long Journey Home: A Century After the 1925 Mountain City Fiddlers
Convention by Various Artists (131)

2. Wide Open Spaces by Connie Kaldor (71)

3. Look to the Moon by Patty and Craig (51)
3. Stone by Stone by Friction Farm (51)
5. Connected by Darryl Purpose (48)
6. Song of the Bricoleur by Rags Rosenberg (42)
7. Lost & Found by Becki Davis (40)
8. Mother Mind by Tekla Waterfield & Jeff Fiedler (39)
9. Hummingbird Highway by Dar Williams (38)
9. Stay Put by Elexa Dawson (38)
9. The Last Bough by Kyle Carey (38)
12. Kentucky Queen by Carla Gover (34)
12. Songs That Sing Me by Becky Buller (34)
12. Now Then by Robbie Fulks (34)
15. Sweet Resilence by Jane Fallon (32)
16. So Long Little Miss Sunshine by Molly Tuttle (30)
17. Heavy on the Blues by Rory Block (29)
18. The Light Still Shines on the Main by Jory Nash (28)
19. The Ghost of Sis Draper by Shawn Camp (27)
20. The America Chronicles by Kemp Harris (25)
21. Drum School Dropout by Christine Lavin (24)
22. Time Out #3 by The Accidentals (23)
23. New Skin by Judy Kass (22)
23. NERFA Songwriters, Vol. 1 by Various Artists (22)
25. Perennial by Kate MacLeod (21)
25. You Climb the Mountain by The Onlies (21)
27. Bridging Divides by Billy Jonas (20)
28. Wild and Clear and Blue by I’m With Her (19)
28. Squirrels by Jubal Lee Young (19)
30. One Hour Mama: The Blues of Victoria Spivey by Maria Muldaur (18)
30. Crown of Rose by Patty Griffin (18)
30. Callin’ Me Back by Petunia & the Vipers (18)
30. The Woods Have Shown Us by Ponyfolk (18)
30. Seeds of Dreaming by Diyet and the Love Soldiers (18)
35. Bones of Trees by Tim Grimm (17)
35. Personal History by Mary Chapin Carpenter (17)
35. Hard Headed Woman by Margo Price (17)
38. Ghost of the Old West by George Mann and Mick Coates (16)

38. Lost & Found Highway by Joselyn & Don (16)
38. Lift Up the Old World by Hilary Hawke (16)
38. Dark Ages by Eliza Gilkyson (16)
42. Riding High in Texas by Asleep at the Wheel (15)
42. The Way I Tell the Story by David Wilcox (15)
42. American Romance by Lukas Nelson (15)
42. Kerrville Covers by Janet Feld (15)
42. Shadows of a Ghost Town by Meghan Clarisse (15)
47. American Portraits by Marty Cooper (14)
47. Airline Highway by Rodney Crowell (14)
47. Arcadia by Alison Krauss and Union Station (14)
47. The Way the West Was Won by Dallas Burrow (14)
47. We’re Only Human by Hayes Carll (14)

Top Songs of September 2025

1. “I’ve Always Been a Rambler” by Molly Tuttle (23)
2. “No Kings Here” by Tom Paxton (18)
3. “Love, Surround Me” by Patty and Craig (15)
4. “Cuckoo” by John McCutcheon (14)
4. “Me & Robbie Erenberg” by Darryl Purpose (14)
6. “Louder Than Guns” by Friction Farm (13)
7. “Hummingbird Highway” by Dar Williams (12)
7. “900 Miles” by Tim O’Brien (12)
9. “Goodnight America” by Kemp Harris (11)
9. “Bullfrogs” by Rags Rosenberg (11)
11. “It Ain’t Gonna Go Away (Ode to the Epstein Files)” by Cathy Fink
& Marcy Marxer (10)
11. “Memory of August” by Anne Hills (10)
11. “What You Gonna Do With the Baby” by Old Crow Medicine Show (10)
11. “Returning to Myself” by Brandi Carlile (10)
11. “The Last Bough” by Kyle Carey (10)
11. “Tennessee Mountain Fox Chase” by Cathy and Marcy’s Old Time Coaltion (10)
17. “Open All the Doors and Windows” by Billy Jonas (9)
17. “Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down” by Sparky and Rhonda Rucker (9)
17. “Oh, Little One” by Jory Nash (9)
17. “House Carpenter” by Jake Blount (9)
17. “At Our Best” by Judy Kass (9)
17. “Dear Time” by Alison Brown and Steve Martin (9)
17. “Wide Open Spaces” by Connie Kaldor (9)
24. “Baling Hay” by Elexa Dawson (8)
24. “Early Fields” by Kate MacLeod (8)
24. “Millworker” by Becky Buller (8)
24. “The Edge” by Becki Davis (8)
24. “Something My Own” by Tekla Waterfield & Jeff Fiedler (8)
24. “Rocky Road to Dinah’s House” by Becky Buller (8)
24. “Bridget O’Brien” by Maggie’s Wake (8)
24. “Feel What Our Hearts Feel” by Darryl Purpose (8)
24. “Savannah Is a Devilish Girl” by Robbie Fulks (8)
24. “American Dream” by Friction Farm (8)
24. “This Car” by Connie Kaldor (8)
24. “Bright Side of the Blues” by Bryan Titus (8)

Top Artists of September 2025

1. Connie Kaldor (71)
2. Molly Tuttle (57)
3. Friction Farm (53)
4. Patty and Craig (51)
4. Darryl Purpose (51)
6. Becky Buller (50)
7. Dar Williams (49)
8. Tom Paxton (48)
9. John McCutcheon (44)
10. Rags Rosenberg (43)
11. Becki Davis (41)
12. Tekla Waterfield & Jeff Fiedler (39)
12. Elexa Dawson (39)
14. Kyle Carey (38)
15. Woody Guthrie (36)
16. Bruce Springsteen (35)
16. Robbie Fulks (35)
18. Carla Gover (34)
19. Jane Fallon (33)
19. John Prine (33)
21. Christine Lavin (31)
22. Jory Nash (30)
22. Cheryl Wheeler (30)
24. Rory Block (29)
25. Eliza Gilkyson (28)
26. Joni Mitchell (27)
26. Shawn Camp (27)
28. Tim O’Brien (26)
29. Kemp Harris (25)
29. Tim Grimm (25)
31. Kate MacLeod (24)
31. Mary Chapin Carpenter (24)
33. Guy Clark (23)
33. Pete Seeger (23)
33. The Accidentals (23)
36. Willie Nelson (22)
36. Judy Kass (22)
36. The Onlies (22)
39. The Kennedys (21)
39. Bill Monroe (21)

Chosen to present 30-minute sets on full-production stages with lighting and sound before presenters, agents, managers, media, artists, and other music professionals during the music business conference were Adrian + Meredith, Afrikana Soul Sister, Alice Hasen & The Blaze, Alicia Toner, Alysha Brilla, Amy Lavere, Amy Speace, Andrea Von Kampen, Angelique Francis, Anna Ekborg, Anya Hinkle featuring Billy Cardine, Aysanabee, Bailey Bigger, Barnaby Bright, Ben Sures, Berk Jodoin, Bobby Alu, Brad Reid Quartet, Brek, Bruce Molsky, Bruno Capinan, Buffalo Rose, Canyoon City, Cary Morin Duo, Casii Stephan, Celeigh Cardinal, Charly Lowry, Charm of Finches, Chatham Rabbits, Damoizeaux, Dan Navarro, Delbert Anderson Trio, Digawolf, Dom Flemons, Elexa Dawson, Eljuri, Emily Nenni, Emma Langford, Ernest Aines, Falls, Fanny Lumsden, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer with Chao Tian Flagship Romance, Fortunate Ones, Fourwinds, Gangar, Genevieve Racette, Gina Chavez, Gordie McKeeman and His Rhythm Boys, Hanne Kah, Harry Manx, Heather Pierson Duo, Holly Arrowsmith, Humbird, Ian Sherwood, Iona Fyfe, Jack Klatt, Jaimee Harris, Jake Blount, Jancie Jo Lee, Jason Lang: Homage to Penny Lang, Jennifer Knapp, Jenny Mitchell, JigJam, Jim and Sam, Jim Stevens, Jobi Riccio, Joe Jencks, Joy Clark, Karan Casey, Kelley Hunt, Kellie Loder, Kitty MacFarlane, Kris Drever, Lady Nade, Larry & Joe, Le Diable a Cinq, Le Winston Band, Les Arrivants, Les Hay Babies, Les Rats D’Swompe, Les Tireux D’Roches, Little Misty,Lon, Los Arcos Hermanos Pena, Matthew Fowler, Melisande [Electrotrad], Memphissippi Sounds, Mike Biggar, Missy Raines & Allegheny, Monique Clare, My Son the Hurricane, Nadia Larcher with Ensemble Iberica, Nani (Noam Vazana), Nat Myers, Nefesh Mountain, Nigel Wearne, Northern Resonance, Okcello, Ordinary Elephant, Oshima Brothers, Phoebe Hunt, Pipo Romero, Queen Esther, Quote the Raven, Rainbow Girls, Raine Hamilton String Trio, Rakish, Ray Bonneville, Rev. Robert B. Jones, Ron Artis II, Royal Wood, Rum Ragged, Sawyer Fredericks, Seth Walker, Shane Hennessy, Shane Pendergast, Silver Wolf Band, Siomha, So Long Seven, Sophie Lukacs, Spence LaJoye, Steve Poltz, Sussex, Suzie Ungerleider, Talibah Safiya, Talisk, Taylor Rae, , Terra Spencer, The Arcadian Wild, The Armagh Rhymers, The Black Feathers, The Brother Brothers, The Burney Sisters, The Contenders The Faux Paws, The Fretless, The Heart Collectors, The Henry Girls, The Magpies, The McDades, The Rough & Tumble, The Small Glories, Tish Hinojosa, Twin Flames, Veronica Valerio, Waahli, and Wallis Bird.

Besides the juried official showcases and lots of private showcases, there will be a wide array of workshops and panel discussions, mentoring and peer sessions, keynoters, the International Folk Music Awards, a large exhibit hall, receptions and networking opportunities galore.

The theme of the 2023 conference, the world’s largest gathering of the folk music industry and community, is Facing the Future: Sustainability in Folk Music. “As we emerge from the survival mindset of the early 2020s, our attention turns to the horizon and the challenges – and opportunities – that lie ahead for our industry and community,” according to the Kansas city-based nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion. “Together, we’ll explore the intersection of individual excellence and collective strength and work to understand what must be dismantled and what must be built.”

For more information on Folk Alliance International and its annual conference, for which the advanced registration deadline is October 31, visit folk.org.

Editor’s Note: I am a member of the the Folk Alliance International board of directors but was not involved in the selection of official showcase artists.

There’s a Bright Side Somewhere is the first new album in seven years for Traum, whose decades-long involvement in traditional and contemporary folk music has brought him recognition as a performer, writer, editor, teacher, recording artist, and a top-notch fingerstyle guitarist. The album features a mix of 13 traditional and traditional-style American roots music songs.

[Here’s a link to view a video of Happy Traum performing “There’s a Bright Side Somewhere.” A traditional song, it was reportedly first recorded by Reverend Gary Davis in 1961.]

An active participant in the Greenwich Village folk scene of the late 1950s-1960s, Happy — and his late brother Artie — played coffeehouses on the weekends, while he led Sunday Afternoon Sings at Washington Square Park for a couple of years. A student of blues guitar legend Brownie McGhee, whom he cites as a major influence on his picking style, Traum made his recording debut in 1963 with Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Pete Seeger, the Freedom Singers and others on Folkways Records, and later recorded four duets with Dylan on his Greatest Hits, Volume 2. Happy Traum has played concerts, clubs and festivals throughout the world; released many CDs; and has 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 latest recording — along with Darol Anger, Cindy Cashdollar, Amy Helm, Bruce Molsky, Geoff Muldaur, Eugene Ruffolo, Tony Trischka, and Jay Ungar, among others.

One of America’s best-known guitar instructors, Traum also is the author of more than a dozen guitar instruction books and has written 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 has produced more than 600 music lessons on DVDs, books and CDs with some of the world’s top artists.

In a September 12 post to the Folk DJ Listserv, Traum expressed thanks to the DJs “for listening, and for playing this recording that I put my heart and soul into for the past couple of years.” Wrote Traum: “The fact that you care about this music, and do such great work in getting it out to your listeners is an affirmation of my life’s work, as well as that of so many other wonderful artists.” He continued … “to be recognized in this way by each of you feels like a culmination of decades-of immersion into the folk/blues/traditional music genres. Thinking of my first album with the New World Singers in 1963 (with Bob Dylan’s liner notes); recordings with my late brother, Artie Traum; the ones we produced for the Mud Acres/Woodstock Mountains Revue in the 1970s; and the solo CDs I have put out since then, 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. 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.”