Charlottesville, VA (October 23, 2020)—2020 IBMA New Artist of the Year Nominee High Fidelity has unearthed another gem from the Jim and Jesse catalog for their latest radio release. "Tears of Regret," originally recorded by brothers Jim and Jesse McReynolds for Capitol Records in 1955, is the third single off of the band's current Rebel Records recording Banjo Player's Blues and features none other than Jesse McReynolds himself, guesting on mandolin and vocals! "Tears of Regret" is one of three Jim and Jesse numbers that appear on the album and the second song to be released as a focus track, following first single "The South Bound Train."
“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,” states Jeremy Stephens of High Fidelity. “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.”
Fellow member Corrina Rose Logston adds, "Lucille Hutton wrote the words, and Jim and Jesse wrote the music. I don’t know how many women were involved with writing songs in bluegrass at the time, but this is certainly one of the early collaborations in co-writing between men and women in the genre. Lucille Hutton is without a doubt one of the unsung early forces in bluegrass music, and I love that High Fidelity, being a band consisting of two women, is now getting to highlight her important contributions to the music."
High Fidelity has been influenced by many of the bluegrass greats, including Jim and 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," says Logston. “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 powerful 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. “Tears of Regret” is a shining example of that fact.
Click here to listen to or purchase Banjo Player's Blues.
