Joe Mullins shares his banjo with a fan at Pickin’ in Parsons 2025 – photo © Jeromie Stephens

Here is the second and final gallery of images shared by Jeromie Stephens, ace photographer and good friend of Bluegrass Today, from this past weekend’s Pickin’ in Parsons festival in West Virginia.

Jeromie is the reigning, and first ever Bluegrass Photographer of the Year, so named by the IBMA Industry Awards in 2024.

Great stuff!

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Dave Adkins belts one out at Pickin’ in Parsons 2025 – photo © Jeromie Stephens

Jeromie Stephens spent the past weekend in Parsons, WV capturing images at the 2025 Pickin’ in Parsons Bluegrass Festival. It’s always a lovely time in the West Virginia Mountains, and he shared a large gallery of photos which we’ll share over the next few days.

More to come.

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Robin Macy and Ken White at Walker’s Jazz Lounge in Wichita, KS (2/1/25) – photo © Jeromie Stephens

Earlier this month IBMA Executive Director Ken White celebrated his 60th birthday with a jazz and bluegrass bash at Walker’s Jazz Lounge in Wichita, KS. Ken got his start as a jazz musician before coming to bluegrass, so he and a number of friends entertained first with a jazz set and then some grass.

In support were Robin Macy on guitar and vocals, Shelby Eicher on fiddle, Jimmy Campbella on banjo and reso-guitar, and Darrin Wilcox on bass, with Ken on guitar.

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Tom Gray sits in with The Seldom Scene at The Birchmere (12/31/24) – photo © Jeromie Stephens

As they do every year, The Seldom Scene put on their New Year’s Eve concert at The Birchmere in Alexandria, VA, with special guests. For many DC-area fans, this was their first time seeing Clay Hess in his new guitar/vocal position with the group.

Jeromie Stephens was on hand and captured a number of images of the band backstage, and out front.

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Most everyone within the bluegrass music scene in the greater Washington, DC Capitol region, encompassing northern Virginia, southern Maryland, and parts of West Virginia, has been affected by the passing of long time artist and performer Bob Perilla, who died on December 12.

Photographer extraordinaire Jeromie Stephens, a close friend of Bob’s for many years, selected a sampling of the hundreds of photographs he had taken of him over this time to share in this memorial gallery. They are from the large format photo book that Jeromie created for Bob in 2017, The Big Book of Bob – A Bluegrass Troubadour, and presented to him at Akira Otsuka’s annual year-end picking party that year.

On the occasion of Bob’s passing, Jeromie has made the PDF file of the book available online at no charge for anyone who would like to have it as a memento of all Bob Perilla has meant to the bluegrass community. Simply follow this link to download the book, with 50 fine images of Bob and his many various bandmates and friends, and the book cover as separate images.

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Chris Eldridge at the Celebration of Life for Ben Eldridge – photo © Jeromie Stephens

This past Sunday, September 29, friends and family gathered in Fredericksburg, VA to honor the memory of Ben Eldridge, legendary founding banjo player with The Seldom Scene, who passed away on April 14 of this year.

Jeromie Stephens and his wife, April, were in attendance, and he shared these photos of what he described as a joyous event.

“The afternoon’s events were punctuated several times by short, 2-3 song sets by the Seldom Scene, accompanied by Chris Eldridge. Katy Daley MC’d and took the mic around to those who were stage-shy.

Ben’ ex-wife Diana Runyon told the story about the day Ben gave her his ‘Harvey’ banjo – that it was not lost in a divorce. As she told it, Ben came to visit her after they separated and brought Harvey along.  Since she no longer had a banjo, he said she needed a good one and gave it to her.

The final number was Angel Band.  We all helped with the singing.”

Ben’s two ex-wives and his widow reprised their singing of For He’s A Jolly Good Fellow, which they had performed before in his honor at his retirement concert with The Seldom Scene at The Birchmere.

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Caroline Owens at IBMA Bluegrass Live! 2024 – photo © Jeromie Stephens

Here’s Jeromie Stephens’ final contribution from IBMA week in Raleigh, NC, these from Saturday during the IBMA Bluegrass Live! festivities. We are deeply grateful for his fabulous photographs.

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Lilly Anne Svrlinga and JonPaul Sepulveda at IBMA Bluegrass Live! ’24 – photo © Jeromie Stephens

Here is a gallery of images Jeromie Stephens contributed from his various sojourns through the grounds of IBMA Bluegrass Live! 2024.

The post Various Friday photos from IBMA Bluegrass Live! appeared first on Bluegrass Today.

Charlie Lowman in the Marriott Hotel lobby (9/26/24) – photo © Jeromie Stephens

IBMA Bluegrass Photographer of the Year for 2024, Jeromie Stephens, spent much of Thursday prowling the Raleigh Convention Center, during World of Bluegrass, and in the adjacent Marriott Hotel and the Martin Marietta Center during the evening.

Here’s a sampling of what he saw.

The post Thursday images from Jeromie Stephens appeared first on Bluegrass Today.

C.J. Lewandowski at World of Bluegrass 2024 – photo © Jeromie Stephens

Here’s a gallery of photos taken on Wednesday at the 2024 World of Bluegrass by the very first, and current reigning IBMA Photographer of the Year, Jeromie Stephens.

Well done, Jeromie.

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