Renée Fleming & Béla Fleck Announce Joint Album & Share Single Featuring Dolly Parton

Opera singer Renée Fleming and banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck will release a collaborative album, The Fiddle And The Drum, on May 29 via Thirty Tigers. The pair heralded the guest-filled collection by sharing the single, “In The Pines,” featuring legendary country singer-songwriter Dolly Parton.

“It was a dream to have the incomparable Dolly Parton sing on the album,” Fleming said.

Fleming and Fleck previously announced joint live appearances, including joining the 2026 Telluride Bluegrass Festival lineup. Backed by Fleck’s impressive bluegrass band, My Bluegrass Heart, the duo will hold their premiere performance on May 16 at Nashville’s storied Grand Ole Opry. The run will conclude at New York City’s historic Carnegie Hall on December 3.

Comprised of songs culled from “a deep well of America’s musical heritage,” The Fiddle And The Drum was recorded in Nashville with Fleck operating as producer. Along with Parton, featured guests recruited for the project included Jerry Douglas, Vince Gill, Sierra Hull and I’m With Her’s Aoife O’Donovan and Sarah Jarosz.

“I have always loved her [Parton’s] pristine sound, and her iconic status is no accident — her artistry and goodness come through in every beautiful note. It’s the same spirit that drives her constant, creative philanthropy.” Fleck stated. “Pure music, heart, generosity, and authenticity — all in the same remarkable person.”

Parton previously recorded and performed “In The Pines” on multiple occasions throughout her storied career. The traditional song, popularized by Leadbelly and others, dates back to at least the 1870s.

“I was so happy to join the wonderful, talented Renée Fleming on a version of ‘In The Pines,’” Parton added. “ I grew up singing that song in the Smoky Mountains, then I sang it with my family on my TV show back in the ’70s, and then years later I released it on my Heartsongs album. I love that I get to do it again, this time as a duet with Renée Fleming.”

Click below to listen to Renée Fleming and Béla Fleck’s “In The Pines” recording featuring Dolly Parton:

The Fiddle And The Drum Tracklist

1. He’s Gone Away / Storms Are on the Ocean
2. In The Pines (feat. Dolly Parton)
3. The Fiddle and the Drum (feat. Jerry Douglas)
4. My Epitaph
5. The Scarlet Tide (feat. Vince Gill)
6. The Cuckoo (feat. Jerry Douglas)
7. Blackest Crow (feat. Aoife O’Donovan)
8. Scarlet Ribbons
9. he’s gone away (reprise)
10. Pretty Bird (feat. Sierra Hull & Sarah Jarosz)