Mel Bay The Stephen Bennett Fingerstyle Collection
Stephen Bennett was born in Oregon, grew up in New York and has lived in Virginia for the better part of the last three decades. Since his 1987 first-place win at the National Flatpicking Championship in Winfield, Kansas at The Walnut Valley Festival, he has become known as a versatile fingerstyle and flatpicking guitarist who consistently garners critical praise and audience enthusiasm for his recordings and live performances.With his stellar musicianship, a relaxed stage presence and quick wit, Stephen has performed throughout the United States and in Europe. He has also appeared on Garrison Keillor's Minnesota Public Radio show, A Prairie Home Companion, and in April 2003 he made his first trip to New Zealand and Australia, touring with his friend, the legendary guitarist Tommy Emmanuel. With ten self-produced CD recordings to his credit at this writing, a new Stephen Bennett recording is probably in the works.Aside from his work on the six-string guitar, Stephen is also one of the world's premiere performers on the harp guitar, an instrument he indirectly inherited from his great-grandfather. As a composer and arranger, he has created an enduring repertoire and a significant body of recorded work for this instrument. Slide work on his 1930 National resophonic steel guitar is also an important part of Stephen's instrumental diversity.The image of Stephen Bennett embracing his harp guitar is the one that tends to linger. The fact that Stephen is only too happy to champion the cause of the harp guitar may inadvertently obscure his abilities on the six-string instrument. In what is becoming known as the Golden Age of Guitar Luthiery, it's easy to overlook the fact that this is also the Golden Age of Guitar Playing. With six strings or more, as one of the most original and prolific composers and arrangers for the guitar on the current scene, Stephen Bennett is clearly a part of the latter heritage.