Jeremy Jones

Jeremy Stephens, primarily known to bluegrass audiences as the front man for the rising ensemble, High Fidelity, has stepped out front and center for his second solo release on Rebel Records. How I Hear It is a collection of material drawn from the many influences and mentors Stephens had as a young boy growing up in southside Virginia.

It is easy to have low expectations for this CD because Jeremy Davenport was clearly being positioned to be "the next Chet Baker," though he did not succeed. The seven cover boy photos make it a little difficult to take him seriously and the originals that he contributed to the set (particularly "Was It Something I Did?," which has abysmal words) are not too memorable. But, on the other hand, he plays trumpet well, his vocals, which sound much closer to Harry Connick, Jr. than to Baker, have their charm, and Davenport is fairly rewarding on the standards (such as "They Can't Take That Away From Me," "I'm Old Fashioned," and "I'm in the Mood for Love").