High Fidelity to Rebel Records

Rebel Records in Virginia has announced the signing of Tennessee bluegrass band High Fidelity to the label.

It’s a good fit as Rebel has long been the home of some of the finest traditional bluegrass ever recorded, and High Fidelity is a practiced throwback act, presenting a stunningly accurate representation of ’50s and ’60s music. The Rebel catalog contains projects from Ralph Stanley, Larry Sparks, The Country Gentlemen, and Dave Evans and continues to support “real bluegrass” with current artists like Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers, Big Country Bluegrass, Lost & Found, and The Price Sisters.

Dave Freeman of Rebel was already familiar with guitarist/vocalist Jeremy Stephens, who grew up not far from Rebel’s headquarters in Charlottesville, and did a solo banjo album with them while he was still in his teens. Freeman says he wasn’t shocked to find Jeremy still active in the music.

“I am very delighted to be working with Jeremy Stephens once again. He is a special talent, the likes of which doesn’t come around very often. Anyone in his company will be impressed by his boundless enthusiasm for bluegrass and old-time music. Now, nearly 20 years since our first recording together, it doesn’t surprise me at all that he has grown into a confident band leader with High Fidelity.”  

The band is completed by Corrina Rose Logston, a fine fiddler and duet partner for Jeremey, to whom she is married; Kurt Stephenson, a former Walnut Valley champion, on banjo; experienced Nashville bass player Vickie Vaughn; and Daniel Amick on mandolin. They spent last week as an official Bluegrass Ramble showcase act for the IBMA during their World of Bluegrass convention in Raleigh, and turned more than a few heads.

Here’s a taste of their music in a couple of live videos. Note the attention to detail in the music, with every note and phrase perfectly in tune with the style of the time, starting with this Jim & Jesse classic, She Left Me Standing On The Mountain.

And also here on I See A Bright Light Shining, which Joe Val recorded in the early ’60s.

No word yet on when to expect a High Fidelity album from Rebel, but you can be sure that when it comes, there will be nothing new about it!

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About the Author

John Lawless

John had served as primary author and editor for The Bluegrass Blog from its launch in 2006 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011. He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents.