Tony Trischka has been described as "the great banjo liberationist" (NPR). His work is characterized by jaw-dropping musicianship, combined with comic and literary irreverence, earnest songwriting, and facility with genres from bluegrass to the avant-garde to fusion and R&B. A Grammy-nominee, Trischka has nurtured students such as Béla Fleck. In addition to his Grammy nominations, he’s earned a number of honors over the years, including the International Bluegrass Music Award for Banjo Player of the Year in 2007, and he was named a United States Artists Friends Fellow in 2012. His album, Shall We Hope, is a visionary exploration of Civil War history featuring an all-star cast—from Michael Daves and Maura O’Connell to the Femmes, Catherine Russell, Guy Davis, the actor John Lithgow and many others. Most recently, Trischka has been touring EarlJam: A Celebration of Earl Scruggs, honoring the music of the pioneer of the three-finger banjo style and one of the two most important musicians in bluegrass.