Earl Jam 2 Tony Trischka

• 1 Columbus Stockade Blues 03:03
• 2 Red River Valley 03:27
• 3 Old Cacklin' Hen 02:36
• 4 Mom & Dad's Waltz 03:42
• 5 Gentle On My Mind 06:25
• 6 Maple On The Hill 03:36
• 7 Lost John 02:34
• 8 I Still Miss Someone 03:20
• 9 That's All Right 03:01
• 10 Bill Cheatham 03:15
• 11 Down In the Willow Garden 04:17
• 12 Boil Them Cabbage Down 01:03
• 13 Here Comes the Bride 01:42
• 14 Chicken Reel 00:34
• 15 I Wish We Had Our Time Again 04:25
• Total Runtime 47:00

Info for Earl Jam 2

Tony Trischka’s Earl Jam 2 pairs rare home recordings by Earl Scruggs and John Hartford with performances from Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Sierra Ferrell, and more.

Tony Trischka has spent more than six decades pushing the banjo forward while keeping one foot planted firmly in its roots, a balance that comes into sharp focus on Earl Jam 2, the long-awaited companion to his Grammy and IBMA Award-nominated 2023 release Earl Jam.

The project is built around a rare and intimate discovery: previously unheard home recordings of Earl Scruggs and John Hartford casually jamming together between 1987 and 1998. Rather than freezing the material in time, Trischka lets it breathe. Earl Jam 2 draws 15 newly selected performances from the same archive, moving fluidly between traditional standards, deep-cut fiddle tunes, and enduring American songs including “Gentle on My Mind,” “Red River Valley,” and “That’s All Right.”

As on the first volume, Trischka surrounds himself with an expansive cast of collaborators who represent the current heartbeat of bluegrass and roots music. Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Sam Bush, Del and Ronnie McCoury, Sierra Ferrell, the SteelDrivers, Sister Sadie, the Gibson Brothers, and others bring their own personalities to the sessions, yet the focus never drifts far from Scruggs’ phrasing, tone, and rhythmic feel. The performances feel collective rather than showy, guided by respect for the language Scruggs helped define.

That sense of lineage has long been central to Trischka’s story. Born in Syracuse, New York in 1949, he grew up in a music-filled home and first fell under the banjo’s spell after hearing the Kingston Trio’s 1959 recording of “M.T.A.” As a teenager, he made pilgrimages to the Newport Folk Festival during the height of the folk revival, absorbing the idea that traditional music could evolve without losing its soul.

When Trischka moved to New York City in the early ’70s, he found himself among a community of musicians who viewed American roots music as a living language rather than a fixed form. That philosophy would guide his career, earning him a reputation as both a fearless innovator and one of the instrument’s most dedicated historians.

Earl Jam 2 reflects that dual identity. It honors the past without freezing it in time, using Scruggs’ own late-career playing as a bridge between generations. The album moves forward with purpose, connecting generations of players through a shared language shaped by Trischka’s deep understanding of the banjo’s history and its open-ended future.

"When the great Tony Trischka starts playing his banjo, the clouds part, the sun shines, and for a while it feels like all’s well with the world. Joined by some of his all-star friends on EarlJam it becomes a festival of joy that you can’t afford to miss.” (Sean Wilentz, American Historian)

Tony Trischka, banjo
Billy Strings, vocals & guitar
Michael Cleveland, fiddle
Sam Bush, mandolin
Mark Schatz, bass

Produced by Béla Fleck

Tony Trischka
is considered to be the consummate banjo artist and perhaps the most influential banjo player in the roots music world. For more than 45 years, his stylings have inspired a whole generation of bluegrass and acoustic musicians with the many voices he has brought to the instrument.

A native of Syracuse, New York, Trischka’s interest in banjo was sparked by the Kingston Trio’s “Charlie and the MTA” in 1963. Two years later, he joined the Down City Ramblers, where he remained through 1971. That year, Trischka made his recording debut on 15 Bluegrass Instrumentals with the band Country Cooking; at the same time, he was also a member of America’s premier sports-rock band Country Granola. In 1973, he began a three-year stint with Breakfast Special. Between 1974 and 1975, he recorded two solo albums, Bluegrass Light and Heartlands. After one more solo album in 1976, Banjoland, he went on to become musical leader for the Broadway show The Robber Bridegroom.

With his fearless musical curiosity as the guiding force, Tony Trischka’s critically acclaimed release, Territory roams widely through the banjo’s creative terrain. Nine selections partner Tony with fellow banjoists Pete Seeger, Mike Seeger, Bill Evans, Bill Keith and Bruce Molsky.

This album contains no booklet.