On Saturday March 5 at 8:00pm, the Hurdy Gurdy Folk Music Club will present Tony Trischka and Territory at the Fair Lawn Community Center in Fair Lawn, New Jersey.   Opening the evening will be Paul Friedman & Jody Kruskal.

Tony Trischka is regarded by fans as 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.   A resident of Fair Lawn, New Jersey, Trischka's performance at the Fair Lawn Community Center will celebrate his 40 plus years as a recognized banjo superstar and the unique voices he has brought to the instrument.

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.

In the early 1980s, he began recording with the progressive bluegrass band Skyline, recording their first album in 1983.   Skyline expanded their bluegrass perspective by incorporating other elements, such as jazz, rock, classical and even tunes from the Wizard of Oz and became an significant force in the "newgrass" movement.

Trischka's solo recordings include 1993's "World Turning", 1995's "Glory Shone Around: A Christmas Collection" and 1999's "Bend". His 2007 "Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular" featured an appearance by comedian Steve Martin, Earl Scruggs and many other luminaries. For this recording he went back to traditional Bluegrass and reinvigorated the double banjo tradition of that style.   

Trischka was given an IBMA (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 Tony with fellow banjoists Pete Seeger, Mike Seeger, Bill Evans, Bill Keith, Bruce Molsky, and twelve all-Trischka solo tracks explore a panorama of tunings, banjo sounds, and traditions; tapping the creative potential of America's signature musical instrument.

Opening the evening will be the duo of Paul Friedman & Jody Kruskal. The Brooklyn natives have been playing traditional music for more than 30 years in New York City and beyond. They present songs and tunes with an old time flavor and a repertoire that ranges from the US, Canada, England, Sweden and the Shetland Islands.

The Fair Lawn Community Center is located at 10-10 20th Street in Fair Lawn, NJ. Tickets for this concert are $25 ($22 for Hurdy Gurdy members) and can be purchased online at www.hurdygurdyfolk.org or at the box office at the Fair Lawn Community Center on the night of the concert.

Additional information can be received at the website or by calling the Hurdy Gurdy Hotline at (201) 384-1325. The Hurdy Gurdy is celebrating their 30th season of presenting acoustic music in Bergen County.