Search - Jeremy Stephens :: Scarlet Banjo

Very Solid Freshman CD

surfandsand | Florida USA | 03/08/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I certainly hope to hear more from this kid. On this CD, Stephens displays a very cool bluegrass banjo style with a "down home" feel. Not as flashy as Scruggs but not as raw as Fairchild either. Somewhere in between. A very tasteful very cool very bluegrass style that respects bluegrass traditions yet sounds fresh. There are no lyrics on this CD. Recording quality is excellent and his fellow musicians are superb. Stephens mixes in some clawhammer and even some of his own guitar pickin but this is still primarily a bluegrass banjo cd that will not disappoint the bluegrass banjo lover."

Meet The Future!

TheHighlander | Richfield, PA United States | 05/10/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Jeremy Stephens is only 16 years old - and so talented. One listen to this album will convince you that he will be around for a long time. He makes the banjo sound so effortless to play, and it is not. He does a fine job on originals and covers of Don Reno, Flatt & Scruggs and the Dr. Ralph Stanley. With a fine support cast (the most recognizable name being Ronnie Stewart) this is a CD of strong instrumentals and strongly recommended to anyone who likes or plays banjo and recommended slightly less to bluegrass fans (those who like lyrics)."

A Good Record

musictherapist | Michigan, USA | 02/18/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Yes, Jeremy Stephens is only 16 years old! He is a winner of the banjo contest at Merlefest--a big-time title from a big-tim music festival in North Carolina. He picks fast and clean. He gets a very nice tone out of his Gibson Granada reissue Mastertone, and is a pretty good single string player, but not as good as, say, Scott Vestal. This is straight ahead, traditional bluegrass. He plays mostly bluegrass standards with a couple new songs (written by others) on the album as well. Standards include Don Reno's Banjo Signal and Jacknife-in', Earl Scruggs' Dear Old Dixie, and Ralph Stanley's Hard Times, as well as Eighth of January, June Apple, and Arkansas Traveler as done by everybody. He plays mostly 3-finger bluegrass style, but also plays a beautiful clawhammer style on two songs, which I liked a lot. But, I also have some criticism. He really flogs the standards, and if he wants to make more of a name for himself, he needs to introduce some new songs. There are too many excellent young banjo players out there for him to just put out songs that have been covered to death by everybody else. One or two standards are enough. I have Eighth of January and Arkansas Traveler on at least ten other albums. He also plays guitar, somewhat stiffly, on two songs. It sounds like a $29 Sears model, and I can't listen to his guitar without, well, cringing a little bit. Maybe he could save his guitar playing for concerts and jam sessions. Most importantly, however, is that somewhere out there is an excellent band that is missing a banjo player, and when Jeremy Stephens finds them, they will take the bluegrass music world by storm."