If any album deserved a second volume, it was Tony Trischka’s Earl Jam. Released in the summer of 2024, this Grammy-nominated project presented Trischka faithfully recreating songs played by Earl Scruggs during jam sessions with John Hartford from 1987-1998, all of which were captured on tape. With hours and hours of music contained on those recordings, it was only appropriate for Tony to share even more of his discoveries on Earl Jam 2 on Down The Road Records.
Like the previous effort, Tony is aided by a myriad of guest artists. The opening track, Columbus Stockade Blues, pairs him with the Del McCoury Band, who deliver a supercharged rendition of this acoustic standard. The following track, Red River Valley, brings a gentler change of pace with great vocal work from Molly Tuttle and Bronwyn-Keith Hynes. Working alongside Trischka, Tuttle and Keith-Hynes are Sam Bush on mandolin and Mark Schatz on bass.
The Lefty Frizzell classic Mom and Dad’s Waltz is given a brilliant treatment by Farayi Malek, a contemporary jazz vocalist that Trischka discovered through a demo recording of the song provided by Ken Irwin. This particular selection provides not only a strong vocal performance from Malek, but also excellent ensemble work from Tony, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Bryan Sutton, and Todd Phillips.
Another classic featured here is Gentle On My Mind. One of two songs by John Hartford on this album, this version is unlike any other. With strong vocal work from Billy Strings, and stout fiddling from Michael Cleveland, this makes for an unforgettable listen.
Lost John pairs Tony with the SteelDrivers who are able to make this old time classic uniquely their own. This performance is especially punctuated by the gritty lead vocals of Matt Dame. Though the group has had various lead singers forming in 2005, the raw, bluesy vocal style has been a hallmark of their sound since the beginning. It’s beautifully displayed on this track by Dame.
Dudley Connell also delivers sterling vocals on the Elvis Presley chestnut, That’s All Right. Assisted on harmony vocals by his wife Sally Love, Connell brings just the right amount of rock and roll energy in his performance to match with the excellent rhythmic groove all throughout.
Boil Them Cabbage Down and Chicken Reel both showcase just Trischka and his banjo. The former is rendered in a Drop C tuning while the latter is played in a straightforward manner with a really clever ending. While both are great performances, they are way too brief in length. These tunes deserve to be extended.
Earl Jam 2 is another exceptional recording from Tony Trischka. Like its predecessor, Tony brings Earl Scruggs’ ideas to life with assistance from some of the best musicians that bluegrass and acoustic music have to offer. While you can download and stream this album, I would recommend getting a physical copy with the liner notes as they add even more detail to the story Tony is telling with this recording.
