On his Earl Jam album, and its upcoming follow-up, Earl Jam 2, banjo ace Tony Trischka not only stands in the footsteps of the great Earl Scruggs, he also puts together studio sessions with seasoned masters like himself alongside the best young artists in bluegrass.
The theme behind both projects is a set of amateur live recordings of jams at Earl’s home, with Tony having learned the various banjo solos Scruggs played, and arranged new recordings around them to preserve the music.
A live, in-studio video is available now of another track from Earl Jam 2, this time the old standard, Red River Valley, featuring Molly Tuttle on guitar and lead vocal. Also included are Bronwyn Keith-Hynes on fiddle and harmony vocal, Sam Bush on mandolin, and Mark Schatz on bass.
Ever the historian, Trischka offers some background on Red River Valley.
“This song may have been composed in 1870 in Manitoba’s Red River Valley, and the first commercial recording was waxed by Hugh Cross and Riley Puckett in 1927. Most importantly, in 1939, The Three Stooges sang the song in the short film, Yes, We Have No Bonanza.
Here, Molly’s beautiful vocal carries the listener, body and soul, to that distant valley, and Bronwyn’s harmony makes the song all the more poignant.
Earl’s solo is a paradigm of creative simplicity.”
The song changes keys throughout to allow Tony to play Earl’s solos as they were presented to him, while giving Molly the chance to sing it in a comfortable range for her.
Have a look and listen.
Red River Valley is available now from Down The Road Records at popular download and streaming services online. Pre-orders for Earl Jam 2 are likewise enabled.
Tony will be on the road with his Earl Jam tour throughout 2026. See scheduled dates online.
