The latest radio release from High Fidelity features the oldest living patriarch of bluegrass music and oldest active member of the Grand Ole Opry. The one and only Jesse McReynolds guests on mandolin and vocals on “Tears of Regret,” a Jim & Jesse song originally recorded in 1955. The updated version appears on the latest release from High Fidelity, and features a newly released companion music video in which McReynolds also appears.
“Tears of Regret” was written by Lucille Hutton, a country music fan and amateur songwriter from the Bristol VA/TN area in the 1940s and 50s.
“According to Jesse, Ms. Hutton would send lyrics of songs she had written to many of the artists who played on radio in that region of the country,” Jeremy Stephens of High Fidelity says. “It’s likely that many of her songs have been recorded, but not all of the artists gave her credit, so it’s impossible to know for sure.”
“Tears of Regret” appears on Banjo Player’s Blues, High Fidelity’s second recording for the historic Rebel Records label (June 2020). Banjo Player's Blues is a showcase of the band’s love for tradition, brother duets, virtuosic instrumental innovators, well-crafted harmony, gospel music, and of course, banjos.
High Fidelity has been influenced by many of the bluegrass greats, including Jim & Jesse, who put Lucille Hutton’s lyrics to music and recorded “Tears of Regret” on January 24, 1955. Now, Jesse has collaborated on the song with High Fidelity 65 years after its original recording.
“Because Jesse has made so many amazing technical advancements to mandolin playing, Jeremy and I have always felt his ‘straight picking’ never got the attention it deserved, Corrina Rose Logston says. “We told him we’d love to hear him do some of that on this recording, and he did an incredible job. Jesse’s singing on the third verse and final chorus is so excellent, it’s hard to fathom that he is performing on this recording at 90 years old! Jesse McReynolds is nothing short of a treasure, and collaborating with him was indescribably special!”
Where many bands offer a pale imitation of the past, High Fidelity presents a meaningful interpretation that captures the true essence of the music these artists learned from the genre’s early masters. Every note on Banjo Player’s Blues is delivered with meaning, reverence, and undeniable talent, and “Tears of Regret” is a shining example of that fact.
