Tony Trischka to Showcase New Album At CD Release Show at Club Passim on June 8

The great banjo legend Tony Trischka will be celebrating the release of his brand new Earl Scruggs tribute record, Earl Jam, at Club Passim on June 8.

The album, which comes out the day before his Passim show, features many of Earl Scrugg's solos from old jams note-for-note, most of which Scruggs never recorded. Together with his band, Trischka collaborates with world-class players to trace Scruggs' story from his childhood to his final years. Roots music enthusiasts widely recognize Tony Trischka as the most influential banjo player in the world. For more than fifty years, his stylings have inspired a whole generation of bluegrass and acoustic musicians with the many voices he has brought to the instrument. Tickets are on sale now at passim.org.

Trischka recently came into possession of extremely rare recordings of jam sessions with Earl Scruggs and John Hartford, and he transcribed and recorded Scruggs's solos from several of these, including many never-recorded songs. Together with his ace band — Alex MacLeod on vocals and guitar, fiddler Nate Lee, and bassist Jared Engel — Trischka honors the music of Earl Scruggs.

Scruggs was the pioneer of the three-finger banjo style and one of the most influential musicians in bluegrass.Scruggs has received four Grammy awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and a National Medal of Arts. The International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame inducted him, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame awarded him a star. Names like Stuart Duncan, Ronnie Mccoury, and Darol Anger fill the album liner notes next to those of Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Brittany Haas, Dominick Leslie, and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, creating a cross-generational and genre-spanning band.

A native of Syracuse, New York, Trischka's interest in banjo was sparked by the Kingston Trio's “Charlie and the MTA” in 1963. He's been nominated twice for a Grammy award, at both the 40th and 50th annual Grammy ceremonies. He won three awards at the 2007 International Bluegrass Music Association gathering, including Recorded Event of the Year and Banjo Player of the Year.

Tony Trischka will perform at Club Passim on Saturday, June 8, 2024 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are available at passim.org. Club Passim is located at 47 Palmer Street in the basement of an historic brick delivery and carriage house. It is on the corner of Church and Palmer Streets.

About Passim 

The mission of Passim is to provide truly exceptional and interactive live musical experiences for both performers and audiences, to nurture artists at all stages of their career, and to build a vibrant music community. Passim does so through their legendary listening venue, music school, artist grants and outreach programs. As a nonprofit since 1994, Passim carries on the heritage of our predecessors-the historic Club 47 (1958-1968) and for-profit Passim (1969-1994). We cultivate a diverse mix of musical traditions, where the emphasis is on the relationship between performers and audience and teachers and students. Located in Harvard Square, Passim serves Cambridge and the broader region by featuring local, national and International Artists. Our ultimate goal is to help the performance arts flourish and thereby enrich the lives of members of our community. For a complete schedule, visit www.passim.org. 

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