Tony Trischka & Billy Strings perform Gentle On My Mind

You may have already heard this story, so I will condense it down. During the pandemic, banjo legend and Deering artist Tony Trischka took possession of a thumb drive that contained a treasure trove of never-before-released recordings by Earl Scruggs jamming with John Hartford. After months of listening, analyzing, transcribing, and learning, Tony recorded 26 of the tracks to be included on the Grammy-nominated "Earl Jam" record, as well as the follow-up, "Earl Jam 2" which is due out in March of 2026. 

The first track from Earl Jam 2 is an awesome arrangement of John Hartford's "Gentle on My Mind" featuring Billy Strings, Michael Cleveland, Sam Bush, and Mark Schatz. Tony told me "In terms of the chord progression, that’s how they did it in the jam.… Just 1-4-5 chord progression as opposed to the more complex original version. And apparently that’s how John did it in his later years. He just simplified it, and there was no key change." 

The tracks is supported by an all-star cast, all of whom shine brightly throughout the track. Tony's beloved Deering Golden Clipper banjo sounds fantastic throughout, not only thanks to Trischka's tasteful and articulate playing of Earl's lines, but also because of the work of sound engineer Lawson White, who has worked with Tony on many occasions, and always brings out the best in his tone. It probably doesnt hurt that Bela Fleck produced this record, also!

Tony spoke about how the Earl Jam Sessions came about as part of a broader interview with Deering on episode 109 of Deering Live. Check it out below! 

What do you think of this version of Gentle on My Mind? Let us know in the comments below?