You've never heard banjo like this

Music at the Mission presents Tony Trischka West Milford — Tony Trischka is perhaps the most influential banjo player in the roots music world. For more than 35 years, his stylings have inspired a whole generation of bluegrass and acoustic musicians. He is not only considered among the very best pickers, he is also one of the instrument’s top teachers, and created numerous instructional books, teaching video tapes and cassettes. Trischka will perform at Music at the Mission on Saturday, Jan. 16 at 8 p.m. 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 Country Granola. In 1973, he began a two-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. Trischka toured with the show in 1978, the year he also played with the Monroe Doctrine. He has played with artists such as Peter Rowan, Richard Greene, and Stacy Phillips. In 1984, he performed in his first feature film, Foxfire. Three years later, he worked on the soundtrack for Driving Miss Daisy. He also recorded the theme song for Books on the Air, a popular National Public Radio Show, and continued his affiliation with the network by appearing on Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion, Mountain Stage, From Our Front Porch, and other radio shows. Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular featured an appearance by comedian Steve Martin, Earl Scruggs and many other luminaries. For this recording he went back to Bluegrass and reinvigorated the double banjo tradition of that style along the way and brought along some fine companions. In Oct. 2007, Tony was given an International Bluegrass Music Association award for Banjo Player of the Year 2007. Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular received IBMA awards for Recorded Event of the Year, Instrumental Album of the Year and a Grammy Nomination. With his fearless musical curiosity as the guiding force, Tony Trischka’s latest critically acclaimed release, Territory, roams widely through the banjo’s creative terrain. Nine selections partner Trischka with fellow banjoists Pete Seeger, Mike Seeger, Bill Evans, Bill Keith, Bruce Molsky, and 12 all-Trischka solo tracks explore a panorama of tunings, banjo sounds, and traditions; tapping the creative potential of America’s signature musical instrument. Music at the Mission is located at 1452 Union Valley Road, West Milford at the West Milford Presbyterian Church. For further information please call 800-613-1455 or visit www.MusicattheMission.org.

You think about somebody like Miles Davis or John Coltrane, people who learned everything about jazz and then digested it and it came out a new way. I think Tony’s very similar; he’s that kind of figure in the banjo world. Tony was ahead of his time. My springboard was Tony Trischka, and without Tony, none of what’s happened with my music would have happened.” Béla Fleck, Grammy award-winning musician

If you go
Tony Trischka
Saturday, Jan. 16, 2010
Music at the Mission
8 p.m.
800-613-1455
www.MusicattheMission.org