Tony Trischka
Encyclopedia
Tony Trischka is an American five-string banjo
player.
, and graduated from Syracuse University (in Syracuse, New York
) with a B.A in Fine Arts, and was inspired to play the banjo
in 1963, listening to the Kingston Trio's "Charlie and The MTA".
Trischka was a founding member of the Syracuse band Down City Ramblers during and beyond his college years, along with such musicians as Harry "Tersh" Gilmore (aka Lou Martin), Tom Hosmer, John Cadley, John Dancks, Greg Root, Greg Johnson, and Joel Diamond. Along with Gilmore and Hosmer he was also in the trio calling itself The Inedible String Bland. Both bands primarily, and frequently, played at Syracuse's premier music club/restaurant of the sixties, Cap'n Mac's Clam Shack.
In 1971 he made his recording debut on 15 Bluegrass Instrumentals with the Ithaca, NY based Country Cooking, (Peter Wernick, Kenny Kosek, Andy Statman, John Miller, Harry "Tersh" Gilmore) and at the same time, he was also a member of Syracuse's Country Granola (Herb Feuerstein, Johno Lanford, Greg Root, Danny Weiss, etc.). In 1973, he began a two-year stint with the New York City band, Breakfast Special (Kenny Kosek, Andy Statman, Roger Mason, Stacy Phillips, Jim Tolles). (This was Trischka's "food band" period.) Between 1974 and 1975, he recorded two solo albums, Bluegrass Light and Heartlands. After another solo album in 1976, Banjoland, he became 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. Beginning in 1978, he also played with artists such as Peter Rowan, Richard Greene, and Stacy Phillips.
In the early 1980s, he began recording with his new group Skyline
, which recorded its first album in 1983. Subsequent albums included Robot Plane Flies over Arkansas (solo, 1983), Stranded in the Moonlight (with Skyline, 1984) and Hill Country (solo, 1985). In 1984, he performed in his first feature film, Foxfire. Three years later, he worked on the soundtrack for Driving Miss Daisy. Trischka produced the Belgian group Gold Rush's No More Angels in 1988. The following year, Skyline recorded its final album, Fire of Grace. 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 A Prairie Home Companion, Mountain Stage, From Our Front Porch, and other radio shows.
Trischka's solo recordings include 1993's World Turning, 1995's Glory Shone Around: A Christmas Collection and 1999's Bend. New Deal, a studio album that followed in 2003, was a bluesy adaptation of bluegrass standards that included a vocal cameo by Loudon Wainwright
. Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular, with an appearance by comedian Steve Martin, came out four years later.
Trischka was banjo teacher to Béla Fleck
, regarded, along with Trischka, as one of the world's top banjoists.
In the late 1990s, Trischka teamed up with David Grier
, Darol Anger
, Mike Marshall
, and Todd Phillips as "Psychograss" and formed a new band, whose debut album Bend explored yet more territory uncharted by banjo.
In January 2007 Trischka released, to critical and popular acclaim, Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular, featuring new music and performances by a stellar line-up of musicians including Earl Scruggs, Béla Fleck and the multi-talented Steve Martin. On April 26, 2007, he performed live on The Late Show With David Letterman with Steve Martin
and Béla Fleck
.
On October 4, 2007 Trischka won three International Bluegrass Music Awards, for Album of the Year, Recorded Event of the Year, and Banjo Player of the Year.
In 2008, Trischka released an album on Smithsonian Folkways
entitled Territory, which in 2009 won the 8th annual Independent Music Awards
for Best Americana Album.
In 2009, Tony Trischka launched the 'Tony Trischka School of Banjo', an online banjo school.
In 2010 produced Steve Martin
’s Rare Bird Alert (March 2011-Rounder) which features performances by Paul McCartney
and the Dixie Chicks
.
In 2011 Tony acted as the musical director of the documentary "Give Me the Banjo", which first aired on PBS in the fall of 2011.
Trischka resides in Fair Lawn, New Jersey.
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
player.
Biography
Tony Trischka was born in Syracuse, New YorkSyracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, and graduated from Syracuse University (in Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
) with a B.A in Fine Arts, and was inspired to play the banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
in 1963, listening to the Kingston Trio's "Charlie and The MTA".
In 1971 he made his recording debut on 15 Bluegrass Instrumentals with the Ithaca, NY based Country Cooking, (Peter Wernick, Kenny Kosek, Andy Statman, John Miller, Harry "Tersh" Gilmore) and at the same time, he was also a member of Syracuse's Country Granola (Herb Feuerstein, Johno Lanford, Greg Root, Danny Weiss, etc.). In 1973, he began a two-year stint with the New York City band, Breakfast Special (Kenny Kosek, Andy Statman, Roger Mason, Stacy Phillips, Jim Tolles). (This was Trischka's "food band" period.) Between 1974 and 1975, he recorded two solo albums, Bluegrass Light and Heartlands. After another solo album in 1976, Banjoland, he became musical leader for the Broadway show, The Robber Bridegroom
The Robber Bridegroom (musical)
The Robber Bridegroom is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alfred Uhry and music by Robert Waldman. The story is based on the 1942 novella by Eudora Welty of the same name, with a Robin Hood-like hero; the adaptation placed it in a late 18th century American setting...
. Trischka toured with the show in 1978, the year he also played with the Monroe Doctrine. Beginning in 1978, he also played with artists such as Peter Rowan, Richard Greene, and Stacy Phillips.
In the early 1980s, he began recording with his new group Skyline
Skyline (musical group)
Skyline was a newgrass group active in the 1970s and 80's headed by Tony Trischka. The band consisted of Tony, Danny Weiss on guitar and vocals, Larry Cohen on bass, and Barry Mitterhoff on mandolin. For most of their career, they were joined by the female vocalist Dede Wyland, and later, by Rachel...
, which recorded its first album in 1983. Subsequent albums included Robot Plane Flies over Arkansas (solo, 1983), Stranded in the Moonlight (with Skyline, 1984) and Hill Country (solo, 1985). In 1984, he performed in his first feature film, Foxfire. Three years later, he worked on the soundtrack for Driving Miss Daisy. Trischka produced the Belgian group Gold Rush's No More Angels in 1988. The following year, Skyline recorded its final album, Fire of Grace. 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 A Prairie Home Companion, Mountain Stage, From Our Front Porch, and other radio shows.
Trischka's solo recordings include 1993's World Turning, 1995's Glory Shone Around: A Christmas Collection and 1999's Bend. New Deal, a studio album that followed in 2003, was a bluesy adaptation of bluegrass standards that included a vocal cameo by Loudon Wainwright
Loudon Wainwright
Loudon Wainwright may refer to:*Loudon Wainwright, Jr., American writer, notably for Life magazine, and father of Loudon Wainwright III*Loudon Wainwright III, American songwriter and folk musician...
. Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular, with an appearance by comedian Steve Martin, came out four years later.
Trischka was banjo teacher to Béla Fleck
Béla Fleck
Béla Anton Leoš Fleck is an American banjo player. Widely acknowledged as one of the world's most innovative and technically proficient banjo players, he is best known for his work with the bands New Grass Revival and Béla Fleck and the Flecktones.-Early life and career details:Fleck was born in...
, regarded, along with Trischka, as one of the world's top banjoists.
In the late 1990s, Trischka teamed up with David Grier
David Grier
David Grier is an American acoustic guitarist. He is considered to be one of the premier flatpicking guitarists in the world. His unique phrasing and his ability to create multiple variations on a theme are hallmarks of his playing style...
, Darol Anger
Darol Anger
-Career:Darol Anger entered popular music at the age of 21 as a founding member of The David Grisman Quintet. Anger played fiddle to David Grisman's mandolin in The David Grisman Quintet's 1977 debut. He co-founded the Turtle Island String Quartet with David Balakrishnan in 1985 and performed,...
, Mike Marshall
Mike Marshall (bluegrass musician)
Mike Marshall is an American mandolin player and multi-instrumentalist who grew up in central Florida and now lives in Oakland, California. Marshall has been a part of New Acoustic Music since the early 1980s. He has performed and recorded with many musicians in a variety of styles, including...
, and Todd Phillips as "Psychograss" and formed a new band, whose debut album Bend explored yet more territory uncharted by banjo.
In January 2007 Trischka released, to critical and popular acclaim, Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular, featuring new music and performances by a stellar line-up of musicians including Earl Scruggs, Béla Fleck and the multi-talented Steve Martin. On April 26, 2007, he performed live on The Late Show With David Letterman with Steve Martin
Steve Martin
Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....
and Béla Fleck
Béla Fleck
Béla Anton Leoš Fleck is an American banjo player. Widely acknowledged as one of the world's most innovative and technically proficient banjo players, he is best known for his work with the bands New Grass Revival and Béla Fleck and the Flecktones.-Early life and career details:Fleck was born in...
.
On October 4, 2007 Trischka won three International Bluegrass Music Awards, for Album of the Year, Recorded Event of the Year, and Banjo Player of the Year.
In 2008, Trischka released an album on Smithsonian Folkways
Smithsonian Folkways
Smithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was founded in 1987 after the family of Moses Asch, founder of Folkways...
entitled Territory, which in 2009 won the 8th annual Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards is an international program that honors top-ranked independent artists and releases in more than 50 Album, Song, Music Video and Design categories....
for Best Americana Album.
In 2009, Tony Trischka launched the 'Tony Trischka School of Banjo', an online banjo school.
In 2010 produced Steve Martin
Steve Martin
Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....
’s Rare Bird Alert (March 2011-Rounder) which features performances by Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
and the Dixie Chicks
Dixie Chicks
The Dixie Chicks are an American country band which has also successfully crossed over into other genres. The band is composed of founding members Martie Erwin Maguire and Emily Erwin Robison, and lead singer Natalie Maines...
.
In 2011 Tony acted as the musical director of the documentary "Give Me the Banjo", which first aired on PBS in the fall of 2011.
Trischka resides in Fair Lawn, New Jersey.
Television appearances
- David Letterman show, with Steve Martin, Bela Fleck, Brittany Haas, and Michael Daves, April 2007
- Ellen Degeneres show, with Steve Martin, Brittany Haas, and Michael Daves, April 2007
- Live at the Quick, with Bela Fleck, 2004–2006
- ABC “Views”, with Béla Fleck, Summer 1997
- “ABC World News Tonight” with Peter Jennings, Summer, 1996
- “CBS Sunday Morning” with Charles Osgood - feature story (including Béla Fleck), 1995
- “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?” (PBS), 1992
- British television production of “Echoes of America: History of the Five String Banjo”, 1989
- CBS “Hallmark Hall of Fame” production of “Foxfire” with Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn and John Denver, 1987
- Ralph Emory’s “Frets” Awards Show, The Nashville Network, 1987
- Nashville Network’s “Fire on the Mountain,” 1984, 1986
- Merv Griffin Show, 1976